Russian Federation defended an offensive near Syria’s Aleppo as a response to “provocations” by an al-Qaida wing, and the opposition blamed President Bashar Assad’s forces for the near collapse of an nearly two-month truce and warned they are seeking to seize control of the city.
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Aamaq later said that IS fighters captured the pilot, identified as Azzam Eid, after he landed with his parachute near the crash site.There was no comment from the Syrian government on the downing of the plane or the IS claim of responsibility.Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters were meanwhile clashing for a third day in the northeastern city of Qamishli, with at least seven people killed.
Ibrahim said the fighting started after government forces attacked a Kurdish security patrol, killing two of its members on Tuesday.
After a five-year war and the death of 250,000 people, millions of Syrian refugees are fleeing to Europe and 6.5 million more are displaced within the country, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Faisal Mekdad spoke on Thursday in Prague after talks at the Czech Foreign Ministry. Krzysiek said about 120,000 people live in the area.
De Mistura also said the latest round of Syria talks is planned to end Wednesday.
The U.N. envoy for Syria is pointing to “real but modest progress” in the country’s humanitarian situation, even as doubts linger about the future of peace talks in Geneva.
Qadri Jamil, co-president of the so-called Moscow Group and Syria’s former deputy premier, told AFP there was no reason to halt the talks over the departure of the HNC, an umbrella group comprising the main Syrian opposition and rebel factions that came together in Riyadh in December.
He also announced a “fact-finding” mission is seeking to arrange deliveries of humanitarian aid to the besieged Damascus suburb of Daraya, something President Barack Obama has publicly called for.
Staffan de Mistura in Geneva on Thursday.
“The cessation of hostilities is still in effect, but it is in great trouble if we don’t act quickly”, Staffan de Mistura told reporters in Geneva on Friday.
But Meslet stressed the HNC had not fully withdrawn from the talks process, but had merely asked de Mistura “to postpone them until we see progress on the ground”. Major powers led by Russian Federation and the US, which brokered the partial cease-fire, must intervene, he said. “We believe that our efforts are best focused on supporting the diplomatic process”, Rhodes added.
Moscow and Washington sponsored the fragile cessation of hostilities that went into effect on February 27th to allow talks to take place but has been left in tatters by increased fighting in the past week.
Speaking during a visit to the UK, Mr Obama said he was “deeply concerned” about whether the truce was “sustainable”.
ICRC spokesman Pawel Krzysiek said it was “the largest joint humanitarian convoy we have done in Syria so far”. Items like dialysis equipment have still not been allowed through.
Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra, which was regained by Syrian army forces -supported by Russian air cover- from militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) last month, was declared free of land-mines and explosive devices on Thursday.
The High Negotiation Committee, representing a coalition of opposition groups, withdrew most of its negotiators in Geneva over the past two days, and said there was little point in returning to formal talks until there was a clear commitment from the Syrian government to talk about a political transition that does not include Mr. Assad.
An unknown number are held by rebel and jihadi groups.
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“Her report is certainly a wake-up call”, he continued, noting that there are children there and other civilians in need of food and medicine.
