Syrian opposition delays Istanbul meeting to choose

Source : LBCI News

Syria‘s political opposition has postponed a meeting scheduled for Saturday in Istanbul to choose a prime minister to head a provisional government, Mohammad Sarmini of the Syrian National Council said on Thursday.

"The meeting may be held later in the week," he told Reuters by telephone. Opposition leaders had hoped to elect a prime minister to operate in rebel-controlled areas of Syria, threatened by a slide into chaos.

This after Western and Arab governments on Thursday pledged more political and material support for the civilian Syrian opposition and called for an immediate halt to arms supplies to the Assad government.

A final statement after a meeting of the "Friends of Syria" diplomatic group in Rome added: "The regime must immediately stop the indiscriminate bombardment against populated areas which are crimes against humanity and cannot remain unpunished".

It added: "The ministers pledged more political and material support to the (Syrian National) coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people and to get more concrete assistance (into) Syria." They gave no detail of what kind of support would be supplied.

As for the United States, it plans for the first time to provide non-lethal aid, including food rations and medical supplies, to opposition fighters battling the Syrian government and it will more than double aid to the civilian opposition, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday.

Speaking after talks with the Syrian opposition and mainly European and Arab countries supporting them, Kerry said that the United States would give the civilian opposition an additional $60 million to help them provide security.

Prior to the meeting, Kerry met with Syrian opposition Coalition Leader Ahmad Moaz Al Khatib for a first time in one of the Italian capital's hotels.

In turn, President Francois Hollande said on Thursday that France wanted to see a more open political dialogue on Syria that would "speak to all parties" in the two-year crisis.

"We want political dialogue. We think that this dialogue must find a new form so that it speaks to all parties," Hollande said, after discussing the crisis with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow.

Hollande said that while France and Russia both wanted to prevent the break up of Syria, they had different ideas on how to achieve that.

Speaking ahead of this meeting with Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday afternoon, Hollande told the Ekho Moskvy radio station that Putin's position on Syria can determine how soon peace will come to Syria. "A lot will depend on President Putin's stance," he said. "We must finally launch the political dialogue" in Syria.

Hollande said he is encouraged by the fact that Russia has acknowledged the influence of the Syrian opposition but would like to see Russia promoting talks on political transition in Syria.

"We see that the Syrian opposition grows stronger and taking on legitimacy as well as some responsibility for the future of the country, and this opposition does not see itself getting engaged in a dialogue with Bashar Assad," he said. "We're going to discuss this and hopefully will have a discussion about power transition."

Hollande also lauded Putin for "creating conditions" for the opposition to engage with the Syrian government.

Following the meeting, Russia and France agreed on Thursday that Syria must not be allowed to break up but differed on other aspects of the two-year-old conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"Despite the existing differences in the Russia and French positions (on Syria), we are for keeping Syria an integral, democratic state," Putin told a joint news conference after talks with French President Francois Hollande.

Western and Arab officials are due to meet with the Syrian opposition in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the possibility of providing military and humanitarian aid to opposition fighters, Reuters quoted a European diplomatic source as saying.

On the field

The Joint Command of the Free Syrian Army said that Ansar al-Tawhid in the Sayf al-Sham Division claim to have killed a Hezbollah member in Akraba after members of the Damascus-based Revolutionary Military Council tapped wireless waves used by Hezbollah members. “They are in the region of Sayyida Zaynab and Akraba,” the council said.

In turn, Syrian activists said rebels are clashing with government forces around a historic 12th century mosque inside the walled old city of Aleppo.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the clashes Thursday are concentrated around the Umayyad Mosque with rebels controlling parts of it and government troops holding another part. The Observatory, which relies on reports from activists on the ground, also says rebels continue to battle troops for control of a police academy west of Aleppo.

For its part, SANA reported that a car bomb explosion took place near the Sahara Mosque in the new Akrama neighborhood in Homs’ Wadi al-Dabab, adding that preliminary information stated that the blast left several victims and major material damages in its wake.

Russian Defense Minister: Russia to Deploy Warships Permanently in the Mediterranean

Source : SANA

MOSCOW, (SANA) – Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoygu said that Russia needs to obtain permanent presence in the Mediterranean as to protect its interests.

During a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday, Shoygu said an operational formation should be deployed in the Mediterranean region for defending the national interests of Russia there.

Earlier, a source at the Russian Staff stated that the warships of three Russian fleets, the Black Sea fleet, the North Sea fleet and the Baltic Sea fleet, will be positioned permanently in the Mediterranean.

M. Nassr/ H. Said

Jalili: Outside Powers Pursuing Mistaken Policy on Syria

Source : SANA

ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN (SANA) Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili said some outside powers pursue mistaken policy on Syria through offering sustained support for terrorists and providing them with weapons to kill the innocents.

He described the approach as ''unacceptable and mistaken.''

During a press conference in Kazakhstan's capital Almaty at the end of the nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 Group, Jalili said ''Some outside powers are pursuing a wrong approach on Syria, and the international community rejects terrorist activity…We have expressed our outspoken condemnation of this but, regrettably, found that certain sides persist in backing terrorists to kill the innocent.''

Jalili stressed that the Syrian people alone are to decide their own future away from foreign interference, underlining the importance that solving the crisis be through dialogue.

''Democracy is the basis for a solution in Syria through democratic mechanisms acknowledged by all and preparing the grounds through an internal dialogue and elections allowing the Syrian people to choose whoever they want,'' said Jalili, indicating that "the terrorist bombings in Syria and sending weapons to terrorists are by no means an expression of the fair demands of the Syrian people.''

M. Ismael

Syrian Electronic Army Hacks AFP Twitter Account, Tweets the Truth About Syria

Source :  LeakSource

Pro-Assad cyber activists have hacked one of Agence France-Presse news agency’s Twitter accounts, filling it with messages aimed at counterbalancing what they call “fabricated news” by Western media sources.

The @AFPphoto profile was compromised at around 16:45 GMT and was tweeting unsanctioned material for about an hour until the account’s temporary suspension on Tuesday.

The Syrian Electronic Army, known for their attacks on Sky News Arabia and Al-Jazeera Mobile, has claimed the responsibility for the cyber-attack.

On its website, the group claimed that it was defending the Syrian Arab people against Western media coverage of the unfolding events on the ground and accused the news outlets of “broadcasting fabricated news about what is happening in Syria.”

Deputy global news editor for AFP Pierre Celerier, confirmed that the photos posted were not AFP images.

AFP also confirmed it had fallen victim to a so called “phishing” attack which attempted to thieve the identity of employees by getting them to login to a fake AFP website.

Heavy losses hit terrorist al-Nusra Front

Source : Islamic Invitation Turkey

Two mortar shells were fired the last midnight, the first one was fallen near the Justice Palace on al- Mazzeh highway of Damascus and the second id near of al-Jalaa court and no victims were recorded.

Near Harasta township, clashes results in the death of 5 armed men and the injury of others, in addition to the destruction of a car provided by machine gun.

Units of Syrian Arab Army have destroyed 4 cars provided by machine guns near Rahma Gas Station in Duma.

The reporter of Breaking News Network says that an armed groups has attacked on a military check point in the South- East area of Damascus province, which confronted by Syrian Army claiming the death of 18 gunmen with 3 of their armed machines, in addition to mortar launcher.

A location of armed rebels has been targeted by Syrian Army in the Eastern neighborhood of Meryan town of Jabal al-Zawie, what resulted in the death of 5 armed men and the injury of others.

While Syrian army has destroyed a building, used by fighters of Free Army as military hospital in Banish, as it has destroyed a car, used to carry the wounded armed men, including a Turkish ambulance.

In al-Nerab, Units of Syrian Army has devastated a position, used by the militants of Free Army to head their operations, what led to the death of 40 gunmen, including the leader of the group Ahmed al-Asaad.

An armed gather has been targeted around the Central Prison of Edlib claiming the death of 21 armed men and the injury of 40, who were transferred to Atma town closed to the Turkish borders.

Syrian forces have hit two gathers of al-Nusra Front’s fighters that is linked to Qaeda Organization in Belwon and Qoreen towns claiming the death of 70 insurgents, including a terrorist called by “al-Nato”, who is an anti-air gun thrower.

Military source assures to Breaking News Network that “the violence of the clashes reduces after several harsh hitting to the groups of Free Army

Our reporter stresses that 3 mortar shells were fired yesterday on various neighborhoods in the city, hitting al-Mualemeen housing and Jbara neighborhood , while the third has fallen in al-Kaseh neighborhood causing the martyrdom of a woman and the injury of two civilians.

Kerry, Lavrov Tackle Syria, Adoptions in ‘Constructive’ Talks

Source : RIA Novosti

BERLIN, February 26 (RIA Novosti) – The United States and Russia will do “everything possible” to facilitate a dialogue between the Syrian government and the armed opposition, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday in Berlin following his first bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

“No one will solve the Syrians’ problems for them, but in order for this solution to be discussed, it’s necessary to sit down at the negotiating table,” Lavrov said following the nearly two-hour meeting with Kerry in the German capital.

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland speaking in Berlin, said Kerry and Lavrov spent more than half of their meeting discussing Syria in what she called a "really serious and hardworking session,” The Associated Press reported.

The two top diplomats discussed how to implement the so-called “Geneva Agreement” aimed at getting the Syrian government and the opposition to plan a transitional government for the time after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad steps down, the AP reported.

“Regarding Syria, the most important thing is that we confirmed our mutual understanding that the continuation of violence is unacceptable,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov called Tuesday’s bilateral talks “constructive” and said he felt Kerry is open to a partnership between the two countries despite disagreements.

“There is a sense that Barack Obama’s second administration, with regards to foreign policy led by John Kerry, will strive to play a more constructive role” in issues such as the adoption of Russia children by Americans and the so-called “Magnitsky Act” that Washington enacted to punish Russian officials it deems guilty of rights abuses, Lavrov said.

Lavrov said Kerry vowed to personally take measures to ensure transparency with regards to Russian children adopted by US parents.

“We discussed in detail the problems with adopted Russian children,” Lavrov said following the meeting. “John Kerry admitted that these problems are not trumped-up … and gave assurance that he will personally undertake all necessary measures to ensure complete transparency and accountability for us in this sphere.”

The issue of safety of Russian adoptees in the United States has helped bring bilateral ties between the two countries to one of their lowest points since the end of the Cold War.

Citing numerous abuse cases and fatalities involving adopted Russian children in the United States, Moscow last month banned US citizens from adopting Russian children in what some see as a response the Magnitsky Act, which became law in December.

Kerry, Lavrov seek common ground in Syria talks

Source : The Daily Star

BERLIN: US Secretary of State John Kerry began talks with his Russian counterpart Tuesday aimed at bridging differences over Syria after voicing confidence the two could find "common ground".

Shaking hands at the start of the meeting in Berlin, Kerry commented he was "happy to see" Sergei Lavrov since "we know each other" while the Russian minister quipped he would sit down when journalists allowed him to get to his chair.

Moscow and Washington have differences over Syria -- Russia is one of the few big powers to keep ties with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and, with China, has vetoed UN Security Council resolutions that would have introduced sanctions against Damascus.

Hours ahead of his talks with Kerry, Lavrov had slammed "extremists" within the Syrian opposition who he said were blocking the start of dialogue in the war-torn country by making unrealistic demands.

He said that recent faint hopes that dialogue was possible between the opposition and the Assad regime had dissipated.

"It seems that extremists who bet on an armed solution to the Syrian problem have prevailed in the ranks of the opposition at this time, including the so-called (Syrian) National Coalition, blocking all initiatives that could lead to the start of dialogue," Lavrov told reporters in Moscow.

Lavrov said there was "an increasing understanding of the need to influence both the government and especially the opposition in order to persuade them against putting forward unrealistic demands as the prerequisite conditions for the start of dialogue".

"During our latest phone contact it seemed to me that he (John Kerry) understands the acuteness of the situation," he added.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem had said in Moscow Monday that the authorities in Damascus were ready to talk to armed rebels, the first time a senior official of the Assad regime had made such a proposal.

But the rebel Free Syrian Army's chief of staff Selim Idriss said that before any dialogue could begin, Assad's regime must fall, among other pre-conditions.

"I am not going to sit down with him or with any other member of his clique before all the killing stops, or before the army withdraws from the cities," he told pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Arabiya.

Kerry, on an 11-day tour of Europe and the Middle East, his first foreign trip since taking over the office, earlier told an event in Berlin with German youngsters that he and Lavrov had a "good relationship".

"I am confident we will find common ground," he said.

Washington has recently toned down its criticism of Moscow's intransigence over Syria.

"We've been absolutely clear that there needs to be a political transition, and we felt that Russia could play a key role in convincing the regime... that there needs to be that political transition," a State Department official told reporters.

However the talks are not expected to produce a "big breakthrough", the official added.

-- 'Decision on next steps' in Rome --

As diplomatic efforts intensified, fierce clashes erupted Tuesday around the historic Umayyad Mosque in Syria's second city Aleppo, as rebels battled troops on the grounds of a police academy elsewhere in the province, a watchdog said.

And a record 150,000 people this month fled the worsening conflict, according to the top UN political official.

Syria's opposition has been calling for the international community to do more -- the United Nations says the fighting has claimed 70,000 lives since the conflict began in March 2011 -- and warned last week it would withdraw from an international conference in Rome planned for Thursday.

But Kerry and British Foreign Secretary William Hague convinced the opposition to revoke its boycott of the Friends of Syria conference.

Syrian National Coalition chief Ahmed Moaz al- Khatib said his group would attend after Kerry and Hague "promised specific aid to alleviate the suffering of our people".

In London, Kerry insisted he wanted the Syrian opposition to know "that we are not coming to Rome simply to talk. We are coming to Rome to make a decision on next steps."

The trip sees Kerry, the son of a diplomat, back on familiar ground. He spent part of his childhood in Berlin and has family in France.

Kerry also met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and standing next to her reminisced in a statement to reporters how he had cycled through Berlin past the then-destroyed Reichstag in his youth.

Syrian Communists Urge Economic Reforms as Crisis Solution

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, February 26 (RIA Novosti) - The Communist Party of Syria believes that economic reforms are needed to overcome the political crisis in the country, the party’s Secretary General Ammar Bakdash told journalists in Moscow on Tuesday.

“Certain economic leaders [in Syria] want to postpone [solving] key economic issues until the [political] crisis is over. [However], in our opinion, another approach is required: the faster economy-related measures are taken, the faster this political crisis will be over,” Bakdash said, adding that his party largely supports incumbent President Bashar al-Assad’s political agenda.

“Private ownership of key industries and enterprises, such as telecommunications, is unacceptable. We want telecommunications, along with power generation, to be 100 percent state-owned,” he added.

The communist leader expressed hope that al-Assad’s regime will withstand the current turmoil, which has plagued the country for almost two years, even despite the recent wave of deadly blasts and attacks.

By organizing such attacks, the opposition “takes revenge against social groups that do not support it, especially in Damascus and Aleppo,” Bakdash said.

Syrian state television said at least 53 people were killed and 237 injured when a car exploded at a checkpoint between the Russian Embassy and the central headquarters of the ruling Baath party last week. Another car bomb was defused nearby.

About 70,000 people have died in Syria since the start of the uprising against Assad in March 2011, according to UN figures.

Arming the 'good' rebels in Syria

Source : Brian Whitaker's blog

There has been a flurry of articles over the last few days about new weaponry reaching anti-Assad fighters in Syria. This is a very significant development, for two reasons. First, it reflects a shift in attitudes among some western and Arab governments as far as arming the rebels is concerned. It's not a change in official policy but nor is it simply a matter of turning a blind eye to arms supplies. Evidence suggests the supply of weapons is being actively managed and directed, though obviously the process is happening at arm's length in the hope that it will remain deniable. Secondly, this is not necessarily meant to hasten Assad's fall. It seems to have be prompted more by fears that when Assad does go jihadist groups will hold the upper hand. The aim, therefore, is to shift the balance among opposition fighters in favour of the less extreme elements. The following articles help to fill in the picture:

In Syria, new influx of weapons to rebels tilts the battle against Assad Liz Sly and Karen DeYoung, Washington Post, 24 February. Who just started arming Syria rebels? Michael Weiss, NOW, 20 February. Saudis step up help for rebels in Syria with Croatian arms CJ Chivers and Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 25 February. Weapons from the former Yugoslavia spread through Syria’s war Eliot Higgins (@Brown_Moses), New York Times blog, 25 February.

Sightings of new weaponry in Syria have been highlighted over the last few weeks by several blogs, including Brown Moses, The Trigger, The Gun and EA Worldview. It's still too early to say what this will achieve. The dangers are that it could further escalate the conflict and/or lead to fighting amongst the rebel groups themselves. A lot will depend on the response from Moscow and Tehran.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 26 February 2013. Comment.

Army Units Inflict Heavy Losses Upon Terrorists in Damascus Countryside

Source :  SANA

DAMASCUS COUNTRYSIDE,(SANA)- Units of the army have inflicted heavy losses on the armed terrorist groups through a series of operations against their gatherings in al-Shefounieh and al-Alya farms in the Estearn Ghota in Damascus Countryside.

An official source told SANA reporter that an army unit has carried out a qualitative operation to the east of al-Shefounieh Town which led to the death of the leaders of three armed groups who are Khero Saleh, Mohammad Hawwa and Abdul-Fattah Hawwa.

Terrorists Mohammad Sweidan, Mohammad Ja'ara and Fawzi Khbieh were also killed in the operation.

At the same time, the source indicated that units of the armed forces targeted the gathering of terrorists in Alya Town as a number of the terrorists were killed and others were injured and their vehicles were destroyed as well as a store of ammunition and weapons.

In Syria, new influx of weapons to rebels tilts the battle against Assad

Source :   Trend.Az

A surge of rebel advances in Syria is being fueled at least in part by an influx of heavy weaponry in a renewed effort by outside powers to arm moderates in the Free Syrian Army, according to Arab and rebel officials, Washington Post reports.

The new armaments, including anti-tank weapons and recoilless rifles, have been sent across the Jordanian borderr into the province of Daraa in recent weeks to counter the growing influence of Islamist extremist groups in the north of Syria by boosting more moderate groups fighting in the south, the officials say.

The arms are the first heavy weapons known to have been supplied by outside powers to the rebels battling to topple President Bashar al-Assad and his family's four-decade-old regime since the Syrian uprising began two years ago.

The officials declined to identify the source of the newly provided weapons, but they noted that the countries most closely involved in supporting the rebels' campaign to oust Assad have grown increasingly alarmed at the soaring influence of Islamists over the fragmented rebel movement. They include the United States and its major European allies, along with Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the two countries most directly involved in supplying the rebels. Security officials from those nations have formed a security coordination committee that consults regularly on events in Syria, they said.

Although the Obama administration continues to refuse to directly arm the rebels, the administration has provided intelligence assistance to those who are involved in the supplies, and it also helps vet opposition forces. U.S. officials declined to comment on the new armaments.

The goal of these renewed deliveries, Arab and rebel officials said, is to reverse the unintended effect of an effort last summer to supply small arms and ammunition to rebel forces in the north, which was halted after it became clear that radical Islamists were emerging as the chief beneficiaries.

"The idea was to get heavier stuff, intensify supply and make sure it goes to the good guys," said an Arab official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the operation. "If you want to weaken al-Nusra, you do it not by withholding [weapons] but by boosting the other groups."

Louay al-Mokdad, the political and media coordinator for the Free Syrian Army, confirmed that the rebels have procured new weapons donated from outside Syria, rather than bought on the black market or seized during the capture of government facilities, the source of the vast majority of the arms that are in the hands of the rebels. But he declined to say who was behind the effort.

Another coordinator for the Free Syrian Army, whose units have received small quantities of donated weaponry in the past two weeks, said that as much as empowering moderates, the goal of the supplies also is to shift the focus of the war away from the north toward the south and the capital, Assad's stronghold. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed so far in the conflict, which has thus far frustrated all attempts by the international community to broker a diplomatic settlement.

Find us on FacebookFollow @TRENDNewsAge February 2013, 10:59 (GMT+04:00)

A surge of rebel advances in Syria is being fueled at least in part by an influx of heavy weaponry in a renewed effort by outside powers to arm moderates in the Free Syrian Army, according to Arab and rebel officials, Washington Post reports.

The new armaments, including anti-tank weapons and recoilless rifles, have been sent across the Jordanian border into the province of Daraa in recent weeks to counter the growing influence of Islamist extremist groups in the north of Syria by boosting more moderate groups fighting in the south, the officials say.

The arms are the first heavy weapons known to have been supplied by outside powers to the rebels battling to topple President Bashar al-Assad and his family's four-decade-old regime since the Syrian uprising began two years ago.

The officials declined to identify the source of the newly provided weapons, but they noted that the countries most closely involved in supporting the rebels' campaign to oust Assad have grown increasingly alarmed at the soaring influence of Islamists over the fragmented rebel movement. They include the United States and its major European allies, along with Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the two countries most directly involved in supplying the rebels. Security officials from those nations have formed a security coordination committee that consults regularly on events in Syria, they said.

Although the Obama administration continues to refuse to directly arm the rebels, the administration has provided intelligence assistance to those who are involved in the supplies, and it also helps vet opposition forces. U.S. officials declined to comment on the new armaments.

The goal of these renewed deliveries, Arab and rebel officials said, is to reverse the unintended effect of an effort last summer to supply small arms and ammunition to rebel forces in the north, which was halted after it became clear that radical Islamists were emerging as the chief beneficiaries.

"The idea was to get heavier stuff, intensify supply and make sure it goes to the good guys," said an Arab official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the operation. "If you want to weaken al-Nusra, you do it not by withholding [weapons] but by boosting the other groups."

Louay al-Mokdad, the political and media coordinator for the Free Syrian Army, confirmed that the rebels have procured new weapons donated from outside Syria, rather than bought on the black market or seized during the capture of government facilities, the source of the vast majority of the arms that are in the hands of the rebels. But he declined to say who was behind the effort.

Another coordinator for the Free Syrian Army, whose units have received small quantities of donated weaponry in the past two weeks, said that as much as empowering moderates, the goal of the supplies also is to shift the focus of the war away from the north toward the south and the capital, Assad's stronghold. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed so far in the conflict, which has thus far frustrated all attempts by the international community to broker a diplomatic settlement.

Syrian opposition not to attend Friends of Syria meeting

Source : Trend.Az

Foreign-based Syrian opposition National Coalition said Friday that it would not attend next month's Friends of Syria meeting in Rome.

The group, formed in Doha in November, said the planned boycott was in protest against a lack of international condemnation of the "crimes committed against the Syrian people."

The international community "amounts to participating in two years of killings" by keeping silent on "the crimes committed every day against our people," it said in a statement.

Due to the "this shameful international position," the coalition has also decided to quit the scheduled talks in Russia and the United States, added the statement.

UN human rights chief Navi Pillay has placed the death toll from Syria's 23-month-old turmoil at nearly 70,000.

Terrorists Suffer Heavy Losses in Idleb

Source :  SANA

PROVINCES, (SANA) – Units of the Armed Forces on Friday inflicted heavy losses upon terrorist groups in a series of operations targeting their gatherings in the villages and towns of Wadi al-Deif, al-Hamidiyeh, Zarzour, Khan al-Subl, Taftanaz and Maaret al- Numan in Idleb.

SANA reporter quoted an official source as saying that a number of terrorists were killed, while others were injured during the operations, in addition to the destruction of their weapons and equipment.

Meanwhile, the engineering units dismantled two roadside bombs weighing between 40-50 kg. The bombs had been planted by terrorists on Ourm al-Jouz-Kafr Shlaya road in Ariha.

A third one was however detonated in Bilal Street in the same area

Army Repels Terrorists' Infiltration Attempt in Homs

A unit of the Armed Forces on Thursday night thwarted a terrorists' attempt to infiltrate from the Lebanese territories into Syria throug Halat site in the countryside of Talkalakh in Homs province.

SANA reporter quoted a source in the province as saying that the army unit killed and injured many members of the armed terrorist group.

In a relevant context, another unit of the Armed Forces destroyed a terrorists' hideout in al-Hosn village in the countryside of Talkalakh along with all weapons and ammunition inside it.

R. Raslan/H. Said

Syria accuses al-Qaida-linked group of being behind Damascus' deadly blast

Source :   Xinhua

DAMASCUS, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Syria's Foreign Ministry accused armed groups affiliated with al- Qaida network of being behind the massive explosion that killed more than 53 people earlier on Thursday, the state-media said.

The ministry's statement came in a letter addressing the UN, during which it charged that al- Qaida-linked groups in Syria were receiving support from regional and foreign countries, calling on the UN to shoulder its responsibilities toward combating terrorism.

Earlier in the day, a suicide car bomber detonated his explosive-laden car at a busy intersection in the heart of Damascus near a headquarters of the ruling al-Baath party, killing more than 53 people, according to the state-media.

The oppositional Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights placed the death toll at 56, among them 15 were government soldiers. It added that another eight people, including three civilians and five regular troops, were killed in another blast that rocked Barza district Thursday.

The blasts have drawn condemnation from opposition parties.

Meanwhile, Syria's parliament condemned the blast and stressed resolution to root out terrorism. It also underlined the need to move on with dialogue to build the future of Syria. The ruling al-Baath party said in a statement Thursday that " these heinous terrorist practices indicate the bankruptcy of their perpetrators and their defeat at the hands of the Syrian army."

The statement held accountable the Arab, regional and international parties, which it said "support terrorism in Syria, supply the mercenary terrorists with arms and provide political and logistic support for them."

For his side, Minister of Religious Endowment Mohammad Abdul- Sattar al-Sayyed said that "the terrorist bombing embodies the message of terrorism and killing, which no dialogue, logic, religion or morals can accept," according to SANA.

No party has claimed responsibility for the attack but previous similar ones had been claimed by the Nusra Front, an offshoot of al-Qaida. The group has been branded as a terrorist organization by the United States.

The blast is the second huge one to rock Damascus since last May, when a suicide car bomber went off before an intelligence headquarters in al-Qazzaz area and killed 55 people.

Blasts and mortar attacks have become increasingly common in Syria as the rebels, backed by al-Qaida fighters, scaled up their attacks to wobble the government's power.

Explosion in central Damascus, casualties reported

Source : Reuters

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An explosion shook central Damascus on Thursday, residents said, and state media reported a "terrorist explosion" had caused casualties.

Syrian television said the explosion was in the Mazraa district of the capital. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors violence in the country, said initial reports suggested a building of the ruling Baath Party was targeted.

Behind the Scenes: Syria Army Prepares to Liberate Aleppo from Takfiris

Source : http://www.almanar.com.lb

Orthodox electoral law that was approved by the joint parliamentary committees caused an unprecedented division among forces of 14th of March. Aside from directing accusations of betrayal and backstabbing to the Christian partners in the coalition, Al Mustaqbal leaders and cadres expressed anger, frustration and bitter disappointment about the outcome of the meetings which prompted Saad hariri to describe Tuesday a black day!

Syrian troops have finalized military preparations for a fateful and decisive battle in Aleppo. After sending thousands of troops and heavy equipment and logistics to the area, observers expect that a fierce battle is underway and will take place soon to liberate the remaining occupied part of the city from the Takfiri military groups.

Some European governments sent messages to Hezbollah via different channels to express its discontent about the American and Israeli pressure to force them to list the party on its list for terrorist organizations. They informed the party they are not in the position to accept that under any circumstances especially that the information provided are false and untrustworthy.

Syrian Opposition Leader May Visit Russia in Early March

Source :   RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, February 21 (RIA Novosti) – Syrian opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib may visit Russia in early March, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

“We are currently discussing the date of al- Khatib’s visit, due approximately in early March,” Lavrov said.

Speaking after the Russian-Arab cooperation forum, the minister said that Russia has also been preparing for a visit by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem, due in late February.

Lavrov said that Russia and the Arab Leage will seek to establish direct contacts between the Syrian opposition and Bashar al-Assad’s government.

“Today we’ve agreed to make use of Arab League potential to assist a soonest direct contact between the government and the Syrian opposition,” he said.

The Russian Foreign Minister said that so far both sides have been putting forward preconditions for talks.

“We are working to begin this dialog, and its up to the sides to discuss when and where it will be held. We will agree for any location” Lavrov said, adding that Moscow was ready to host the negotiations.

Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby urged the sides to launch a transitional period as soon as possible.

“Launching a transitional period and forming a transitional government is of utmost importance. This isn’t easy, but we’ve agreed that this is the goal we must attain,” he said.

Prolonged crisis drives up divorce rate in Syria

Source : Xinhua  English.news.cn

DAMASCUS, Feb.20 (Xinhua) -- Divorce rate has gone up 45 percent and marriage rate has dropped over 40 percent in Syria since the outbreak of mass protests against the government almost two years ago, according to a recent survey by local media.

In constant conflicts between the rebels and the government forces, divorced Syrians are set to outnumber married ones soon, the survey indicated.

The figures signify a watershed for major changes in the social lives of Syrians, who live in a country plagued by violence and burdened by spiralling inflation and unemployment.

Maha, a 35-year-old housewife, said her marriage was falling apart as her family suffered from the 23-month-old crisis.

"My husband has been provoking quarrels with me for the most trivial things, apparently in an attempt to drive me to file for divorce," she told Xinhua.

The mother of three kids said things had been smooth with her husband, who used to work 10 hours a day to support his family, but shortly after the outbreak of the crisis, "our economy started to deteriorate and he eventually lost his job."

She said that her husband tried hard to find another job but only in vain, adding that nobody could help them as the crisis was affecting all Syrians alike.

Also, according to the survey, some couples file for divorce for reasons that had been nonexistent before the crisis. There are people divorcing their spouses for holding different opinions on whether or not to support President Bashar al-Assad.

In the meantime, the survey revealed marriages are on an appalling decline in Syria particularly during the last 10 months of the crisis.

"I think we are on the cusp of seeing marriage becoming less central to our life course and in framing the lives of our nation' s children," said Ayham, a 35-year-old accountant.

He said Syrians now prefer to wait a little longer before getting married due to the ongoing crisis, which rendered many people unable to afford a house or support their family.

Syrian Army Targets ‘High Militant Commander’ in Damascus

Source :

Syrian opposition activists said on Wednesday that a rocket was landed in a command center of a major unit belonging to the militant groups near the capital Damascus on Wednesday, Reuters news agency reported.

The unit’s pilot was injured, the agency added.

A spokesman for the opposition insurgents stated that the ‘Sheikh Zahran Alloush, founder of “Islam’s Brigade’, was wounded in the attac without elaborating further.

However, a commander of the opposition rebels, who fights within th Brigade’s ranks in Damascus, said that “it will a great loss if Sheik Alloush is killed.”

“Islam’s Brigade is the strongest in the battlefield and Sheikh Alloush i its mastermind,” he added.

Army Kills Tens of Terrorists across Syria

Source : Fars News Agency

Army Kills Tens of Terrorists across Syria TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army continued its advances and killed tens of terrorists across the country over the past 24 hours.

The army killed tens of armed rebels and injured dozens more in heavy clashes in Reef (outskirts of) Damascus, al-Reqqa, Deir al-Zour, Homs and Idlib.

In Reef Damascus, the Syrian army units destroyed the bastions of armed rebels in Duma and its suburban farms in Kafr Batna, Zulmaka, Arabin and suburban Harasta. The army killed tens of terrorists and injured dozens more and destroyed two vehicles equipped with heavy machineguns.

Notorious terrorist ringleader Mohammad al-Barhamji, Mohammad Qasem, Soleyman al-Tayr, Ahmad Ghanoum, Omar Dalvan and Mohammad Davlibi were among those killed in Reef Damascus.

In Reef Damascus's Jobar town, the Syrian army killed six terrorists and injured ten others. The army also killed a large number of armed rebels in Darya of Reef Damascus.

In al-Reqqa, the army attacked the bastions of terrorists in Reef al-Reqqa killing a number of armed rebels, including notorious terrorists Hadi al-Akal, Ibrahim Oveis and Ra'ad al-Hessan.

The Syrian army also repelled a terrorist attack on al-Reqqa's central prison and killed a large number of armed rebels and injured many others in heavy clashes.

In Deir al-Zour, the Syrian army clashed with terrorists in al-Haviqeh and the city's old airport killing tens of armed rebels, including notorious terrorists Omran Ibrahim al-Savadi, Qassem Hassan al- Abed, Hessan Eifan al-Ghazal, Adnan al-Mahmoud, Abdel Sattar al-Farim and Khaled Eissa al- Mohammad.

The Syrian army also attacked a convoy of terrorists on al-Saour road in Reef Deir al-Zour killing a number of terrorists and destroying their DshK-equipped vehicles.

In Idlib, the Syrian army units attacked a terrorist bastion in Tal Salmo, East of Idlib Airport. The army killed 12 terrorists in heavy clashes in Saraqeb, Abu Zohourm, al-Rami and Jebel al-Zawiya.

The army also killed eight terrorists in Jesr Al-Shughour in Idlib.

The Syrian army also killed tens of terrorists in sporadic clashes in Talbisiya, al-Rostan and al-Qasir town of Reef Homs.

Terrorists have tried hard in the last few months to make Syrian cities unsafe, specially for citizens, but the army has purged them from most neighborhoods and districts, killed hundreds of them and arrested many more.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.

Missile that flattened district killed 31 Syrians

Source :   thenews.com.pk

BEIRUT: An apparent surface-to-surface missile strike killed at least 31 people, nearly half of them children, when it flattened a residential district of Syria's second city Aleppo, a watchdog said Tuesday. "It is likely that a surface-to-surface missile strike" hit Jabal Badro, on the edge of the northern city, late on Monday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Fourteen children and five women were among the dead, and the "toll is likely to rise as bodies are being retrieved from under the rubble," said the Britain-based group, adding some people were critically injured. There were no planes overhead when the missile hit, according to residents cited by the Observatory, and the extent of the destruction indicated a surface-to-surface missile was likely used, director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. Abu Hisham, an Aleppo-based citizen journalist who spoke to AFP over the Internet, said "housing in the district was informally built. It took one surface-to-surface rocket to destroy an entire neighbourhood." Video footage and photographs shot by activists in Aleppo, scene of fierce fighting since the army launched an all-out assault to stop a rebel advance on Syria's second city on July 20, showed massive destruction in Jabal Badro. Amateur film posted online by the anti-regime Aleppo Media Centre showed crowds of people gathering around hills of rubble and a bulldozer shovelling the debris as residents searched for relatives. "I swear to God! I rescued a baby aged just two months from the rubble!" an unidentified man cried out in the video, whose authenticity AFP could not verify. The Syrian National Council, the biggest bloc in the umbrella opposition National Coalition, linked the attack to the paralysis of the international community, and criticised the European Union for deciding against arming the rebellion. "Hours after the European decision to continue to deprive the Syrian people of the arms they need to defend themselves and the (Monday) report of the UN Commission of Inquiry, which makes no moral distinction between the genocide perpetrated by the regime and individual abuses... the regime bombed Aleppo city... leaving dozens of civilians killed," said the SNC. "The destruction of Syria by Russian missiles, Iranian weapons and Hezbollah fighters are the result of the European decision, the Arab silence and lost time due to stillborn international initiatives," it added. European Union foreign ministers on Monday decided to maintain an embargo against arming Syrian rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. On the same day, a UN commission of inquiry found war crimes by both government forces and rebels were spiralling in the embattled country, though it underlined that the regime was still the major perpetrator. Activists have reported the army's use of surface-to-surface missiles on various targets in northern Syria since late 2012. A security source in Damascus told AFP late last year that such missiles were a Syrian-made version of the Scud, and NATO has since reported ballistic missiles being used in Syria.

Military Assures Airports are Secured and Turning Into Terrorist Graveyards

Source : Real Syria Updates

Military Source has reassured that the current large attacks by Armed Terrorists against Airports in Aleppo are failing, with nothing to fear as the Syrian Army has tightly secured the Airports including Aleppo International, Neirab, Kwiris and Mengh which are turning into 'Graveyards" for Terrorists...JA

-- - The above information were posted by real Syrian activists from Syria & around the world, not by western intelligent post offices duped activists.

Syrian Military Source Rejects Clashes between Terrorists, Lebanese Hezbollah

Source : Islamic Invitation Turkey

A Syrian military source on Monday rejected some media news reports alleging that there have been armed clashes between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Syrian terrorists in the country’s Central Homs province.

Some media, including the Israeli press, had earlier claimed that there had been armed clashes between the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) terrorists and Lebanon’s Hezbollah Movement.

The Syrian military source denied the false claims that the Lebanese Hezbollah has clashed with FSA terrorists, al-Ahd news website reported.

The source, however, said that the Syrian army killed more than 60 terrorists and injured tens of others in clashes with FSA in the suburbs of al-Qasr region in Homs on Sunday night.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.

Turkey along with the US, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been supporting terrorists and rebel groups in Syria and have practically brought a UN peace initiative into failure to bring President Assad’s government into collapse.

Russia to send humanitarian aid to Syria

Source : Xinhua

MOSCOW, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Russia is preparing to send two planes with humanitarian aid to Syria, the Emergency Situations Ministry said Monday.

The planes will carry 44 tons of aid to Syria, the ministry said, and will return with any Russian citizens who wished to leave the conflict-ravaged country.

Russia last month sent two planes to return 77 of its nationals living in Syria.

The Foreign Ministry denied the operation was an evacuation, noting it was arranged at the requests of those taken back, most of whom were women and children.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the situation in Syria required no "emergency actions" from Moscow following the January operation.

Syrian Foreign Ministry: Damascus Doors Open to Dialogue on Syria’s Land

Source : Islamic Invitation Turkey

Foreign and Expatriates Ministry on Wednesday said that a number of mass media reported statements attributed to the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov which link between the expected visit of Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem to Russia and other visits of opposition groups to Moscow.

“The Ministry, which welcomes the invitation of Russia to Minister al-Moallem to visit Moscow and meet his Russian Counterpart Sergey Lavrov, refers, at the same time, to what has been reported about a meeting with the opposition, affirming Syria has repeatedly declared its stance that Damascus doors are open for dialogue, on the Syrian land and under the umbrella of Homeland, with the opposition inside and outside according to the political solution program adopted by the Syrian government,” a statement by the Ministry said.

Syrian army braces for regaining rebel-held area in Aleppo

Source : Xinhua English.news.cn

DAMASCUS, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army is poised to wrest back control of an area that has been overrun by the rebels in the northern province of Aleppo, a pro-government paper said Thursday.

The Syrian troops cordoned the area some 15 km east of Aleppo, the paper said, adding that the army also managed to secure the nearby military factory and the surrounding areas.

The paper noted that the brigade in the area used to provide protection to nearby al-Nairab military airbase and the international airport of Aleppo but a large number of armed men had infiltrated large swathes of the area.

It said after the infiltration, army reinforcements were sent to cordon the area off and killed hundreds of armed men, adding that an army commander was killed along with a number of soldiers during the armed groups' attack.

Quoting an employee at the international airport of Aleppo, al- Watan said the airport was totally secure and the Syrian air force pounded the armed groups that attacked al-Nairab airbase.

In the capital Damascus, the army fought pitch battles with the armed men in the eastern suburb of Jobar.

In the restive suburb of Mlaiha, the air force struck armed groups' positions at the entrances of the area after the rebels broke a truce aiming to facilitate the return of displaced people to their homes.

The army also carried out a series of military operations in the central areas of Rastan, Qusair and Sultanieh among other areas in the central province of Homs.

Meanwhile, the oppositional Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that as many as 200 people were killed Wednesday, 86 of them civilians.

The observatory reported clashes between the army and the Nusra Front fighters, an offshoot of al-Qaida, in several areas nationwide.

Also on Wednesday, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay put the overall death toll of Syria's 23- month-old crisis at nearly 70,000.

Kerry: US Hopes to Reach More Agreement with Russia regarding Syria

Source : SANA

WASHINGTON DC, (SANA) – US State Secretary John Kerry voiced his country's hope to reach further agreement with Russia regarding Syria.

Following his talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Joudeh on Wednesday, Kerry said that he still hopes that it's possible to find a formula allowing Russia and the US to reach more agreement on methods to resolve the crisis in Syria.

Earlier, Kerry discussed in a phone call with King Abdullah II of Jordan developments in the region, specifically efforts to realize peace and developments of the crisis in Syria.

H. Sabbagh

Syrian Foreign Ministry Ready for Reconciliation Talks in Syria

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, February 14 (RIA Novosti) - The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that reconciliation talks with rebel forces should be held “on the Syrian soil,” the SANA news agency reported on Thursday.

The statement came as a response to media reports that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, who is due to visit Moscow soon, may meet with an opposition delegation during his visit.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said Muallem will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the visit.

“As far as rumors about minister Muallem’s meeting with opposition envoys in Moscow, Syria has repeatedly expressed its stance on the issue - Damascus is open for dialog with Syria’s domestic and external opposition on the Syrian soil,” the statement reads.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Wednesday that Al-Khatib, the leader of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SNCROF), will visit Moscow within the next two to three weeks and Moscow was ready to provide a venue fo a meeting between Syrian government and opposition envoys.

SNCROF was formed on November 11, 2012 in Doha, Qatar, and proclaimed itself the legitimate representative of the Syrian peop Its legitimacy has since been recognized by Western powers, but questioned by Moscow.

In December Al-Khatib rejected an invitation from Russia to discuss a peaceful resolution of the Syrian crisis. In an interview with Al Jazeera television he said he wanted an apology from Moscow for having supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Rebels capture Syrian fighter jets

Source :   ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Syrian rebels have overrun a military air base and captured warplanes in the northern province of Aleppo.

The rebels' advance came as the United Nations said the death toll from the 23-month conflict had hit nearly 70,000.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is opposed to the regime of president Bashar al- Assad, says the rebels captured a military airport at Al-Jarrah.

The Britain-based observatory says in the process the rebels seized a deployable fleet of warplanes, including MiG fighter jets.

It says the rebels killed, injured or imprisoned dozens of troops during the assault and surviving troops pulled out, leaving behind ammunition and warplanes.

The Observatory says soon afterwards, the air force used fighter jets to bombard the airport to try to dislodge rebels.

Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, a military source in Aleppo confirmed the rebel capture "after 48 hours of fierce combat", but downplayed the importance of Al-Jarrah.

"It is a very small airport, used for training purposes," he said.

"There are only small amounts of unusable ammunition left there, and several planes that have long been out of action."

Activists meanwhile reported the launch of rebel offensives on the Aleppo international airport and Nayrab military airport nearby, although the military source denied any such assaults.

The Observatory also reported a rebel capture of the main road linking Aleppo province to neighbouring Raqa and parts of a military base tasked with securing the area's airports.

Activists in Aleppo have told AFP that fighters in the north have shifted their focus from city battles to the capture of military airports and bases.

"They are important because they are an instant source of ammunition and supplies, and because their capture means putting out of action the warplanes used to bombard us," Aleppo-based activist Abu Hisham told AFP via the internet.

Mr Assad has called for "collective action" by the state and Syrian people to limit the effects of the crisis.

The Syrian president also accused "groups that target Syria" of trying to destroy the country's infrastructure.

The conflict has killed nearly 70,000 people since it erupted in March 2011.

UN rights chief Navi Pillay has condemned the violence, and also hit out at the inaction of the UN Security Council, where China and Russia have used veto powers to block three resolutions that would have threatened sanctions against Mr Assad's regime.

"We will be judged against the tragedy that has unfolded before our eyes. This council, as well of those of us in key positions within the UN, will be rightly asked what we did," she said.

Her comments came after UN chief Ban Ki-Moon said the Security Council "must no longer stand on the sidelines, deadlocked, silently witnessing the slaughter".

AFP

Syrian Army Purging Terrorists From Northwestern Aleppo

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army continued its cleanup and chase operations against terrorists in different districts of Reef (outskirts of) Aleppo on Monday.

The army continued purging the terrorists from Bani Zayd town in Northwestern Aleppo today.

Bani Zayd is the last hideout and bastion of the armed rebels in Northwestern Syria. The Syrian army began its cleanup operations in Bani Zayd two days ago, and has made considerable advances in the area since then.

The Syrian army destroyed numerous terrorist troops and command centers and arms depot in Bani Zayd.

The terrorists have used Bani Zayd as a base for attacking Aleppo's Western districts such as Teshreen, al-Nil, al-Mokambo, al-Shahba, al-Khalediya and al-Sabil. Bani Zayd also provided the armed rebels with the ability to also target Southeastern Aleppo's residential areas such as al- Ashrafiya and al-Sorian. They kidnapped 30 Syrian civilians, including women and children, from these areas last week and used them as human shield.

Terrorists have tried hard in the last few months to make Syrian cities unsafe, specially for citizens, but the army has purged them from most neighborhoods and districts, killed hundreds of them and arrested many more.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.

In October 2011, calm was eventually restored in the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies are seeking hard to bring the country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of increasing unrests in Syria.

The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling the President Bashar al-Assad's government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure.

According to the report, material is being stockpiled in Damascus, in Idlib near the Turkish border and in Zabadani on the Lebanese border.

Opposition activists who several months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition said in May that the flow of weapons - most bought on the black market in neighboring countries or from elements of the Syrian military in the past - has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states to provide millions of dollars in funding each month.

PLO officials to meet with deputy Syrian FM

Source : Maan News Agency

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- A PLO delegation is scheduled to meet with the deputy foreign minister of Syria Faysal al-Miqdad in Damascus Monday, Palestine's envoy to Syria said.

The delegation, headed by senior official Zakaria al-Agha, arrived in the Syrian capital on Sunday in an effort to protect Palestinians in Syria from the conflict.

Palestinian ambassador to Syria Mahmoud al- Khalidi told Ma’an late Sunday that the group met with representatives of the PLO factions in Syria on their first day.

On Monday, they will meet with the deputy foreign minister to discuss the means of keeping th Palestinian refugee camps out of the ongoing fighting, he said.

Many Palestinians have fled Syria, or been internally displaced, as the fighting between th Syrian army and opposition forces spread into the camps.

In November, the PLO said that around 600 Palestinians had been killed in the Syrian conflict.

Syria hosts half a million Palestinian refugees, descendants of those admitted after the creatio of Israel in 1948.

Syria denies rebels' control over two military bases in Aleppo

Source :   Xinhua | English.news.cn

DAMASCUS, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A Syrian military source on Sunday dismissed as unfounded media reports that the armed rebels in northern province Aleppo had overrun two bases near the military airport of Ming.

The source, whose remarks were carried by the state-run SANA news agency, said "such false allegations come as part of the desperate attempts to lift the collapsing morale of the armed groups that are facing strikes by our valiant army."

In the meantime, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based opposition watchdog, said that three civilians were killed in the capital Damascus Sunday by an explosion. It said the blast rocked the Sharkas lane of the northern district of Rukin Addien.

The Observatory also reported blasted and clashes elsewhere in the conflict-ravaged country.

The battles in Damascus are the latest in a series of intense fighting that engulfed most of Syrian cities over the past 22 months of crisis, during which more than 60,000 people were killed.

Syrian opposition figures call for political solution according to Assad's vision

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

DAMASCUS, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- A number of opposition figures and government loyalists declared Saturday the formation of the National Current to Salvage Syria, calling in their first statement for adopting the political vision of President Bashar al- Assad as an important step toward a political solution for Syria's long-standing crisis.

In a press conference held Saturday in the capital Damascus, Sattam al-Dandal, a member of the new current, read out the founding statement in which he stressed belief in a democratic, secular and civil state.

"Our aim is for Syria to remain united. We believe in national dialogue between the Syrians on a Syrian soil as the sole way to get rid of the crisis," the statement said.

However, the new current did not hide their suspicions about the broad-based opposition groups, calling for following all of their statements and revealing their relations with "the al-Qaida groups" on the ground. The statement also called for fighting foreign intervention in Syria "that runs counter to the Syrian sovereignty."

Many opposition currents and parties have been formed over the past year inside Syria after the issuance of the multi-party law by Assad. However, the Syria-based opposition groups are being considered by the exiled opposition as "government-friendly."

On contrary, the exiled opposition repeatedly calls for ousting the government by all means possible. Even their recent gestures for dialogue were based on the condition that the result of any dialogue must lead to the departure of Assad

Damascus “Open” to Khatib’s Dialogue Initiative

Source : Al Akhbar English

Damascus – By failing to respond to opposition coalition leader Moaz al-Khatib’s call for dialogue, many assumed Damascus was issuing an implicit rejection.

In remarks to Al-Akhbar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Qadri Jamil denied that the authorities were ignoring the initiative, saying it was Khatib who had ignored a previous government initiative.

“If [Khatib’s initiative] can concur with the government initiative – on not accepting external interference, for example – the Syrian state will be open to all possible initiatives for a solution without preconditions,” he said.

Jamil indicated that the Syrian government does not consider Khatib’s preconditions for dialogue unacceptable, noting that Minister for National Reconciliation Ali Haidar responded to Khatib’s demand for the release of detainees by urging him to provide lists of the prisoners concerned. He said the government was generally in favor of acting to free all detainees who have not committed crimes.

The Syrian deputy premier suggested that it was not acceptable for Khatib to “determine the identity of the negotiator representing the regime in the dialogue,” namely Vice President Farouk al- Sharaa. “It is not good to interfere in sovereign matters in this way.”

“What would Mr. Khatib say if the opposition Popular Front for Change and Freedom decided it didn’t agree to him and demanded he were replaced with Riad Seif, for example?”

Jamil said that the foreign-based opposition’s openness to dialogue – after having long rejected the idea – is a positive development.

He said the government had no objection to negotiating with anyone in the opposition “within the parameters of higher national principles, especially rejection of external interference.”

He added that “Moaz al-Khatib is only part of the opposition. He is being talked up abroad as representative of the whole opposition, but the Syrian opposition is made of diverse groups.”

Jamil charged that the Israeli air strike on the Jamraya scientific research site in January 2013 “was aimed at impeding a political settlement” in Syria. He argued that “the response to this raid should be to move faster towards a political settlement.”

Jamil also denied Lebanese press reports that he had visited the UAE to discuss the crisis. He said that his remarks to the press at the Beirut airport, while travelling to Moscow on a private visit via Dubai, had been misconstrued.

“This led to rumors spreading about a [UAE] role in resolving the Syrian crisis [as well as] the possibility that it might advance a political settlement, even though its name has not featured during the months of bloody events witnessed by the country,” he explained.

“This was amid other rumors about a possible role for UAE companies in rebuilding areas devastated by the systematic destruction the country has suffered.”

This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.

RedditTweet4 Send by emailPrinter-friendly version Tags Section: Mideast & North Africa Category: Articles Tags: Syrian opposition, syria, Qadri Jamil Related Articles Israeli Strike on Syria: Seizing an Opportunity For five years, Israel kept harping on about a “red line” that must never be crossed on its northern front. That “red line” was the transport of “balance- tipping” weapons from the Syrian army to... Syrian Opposition’s Bid for Dialogue: Why Now? On Wednesday, 30 January 2013, Moaz al- Khatib, president of the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC), announced that he was prepared to hold talks with the regime. For many diplomats who have... Advertisement Syrian Army fighter prepares to fire a B-10 recoilless gun in the Harasta neighborhood of Damascus on 7 February 2013.

Qaida-linked group attack anti-gov't protest in northwestern Syria

Source : APA

Baku-APA. Members and supporters of the al- Qaida-linked Nusra Front attacked Friday an anti-government protest in Syrian northwestern province of Idlib, tearing down the protesters' flag and chanting for establishing a "caliphate," APA reorts quoting Xinhua

An online video shot by Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights showed the radical group storming the "pro-democracy protest" held in Idlib's Sarqeb town. After tearing down the protesters' black, white and green flag, the Nusra fighters and supporters chanted that "it will only be an Islamic caliphate."

The observatory said the incident is the second within a week in which radicals disperse activists in Sarqeb, a town allegedly under the rebels' control.

The United States branded Nusra Front as a terrorist organization last month, after it claimed responsibility for almost all the explosions that rattled security and military posts across Syria.

Fighting currently alongside the rebels' Free Syria Army, the Nusra Front has recently said it is interested in neither freedom nor democracy and its ultimate goal is to establish an Islamic state on the "wreckage" of the current administration.

Analysts said the Nusra Front is believed to be a striking force in the fight against the government troops nationwide, and Friday's incident manifests that the 22-month "revolution" in Syria has been hijacked by radical groups affiliated with al-Qaida.

Meanwhile, fights renewed in several areas in the unrest-torn country on Friday, most notably in areas surrounding the capital Damascus.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes in Damascus' eastern suburb Jobar, as well as shelling and airstrike on the nearby areas of Zamalka and Qaboun. Clashes also continued in Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugees in the capital and the western countryside of Daraya and Muadamieh.

The observatory said three young men from the Dummar neighborhood in Damascus were tortured to death by government forces, adding that the government troops carried out Friday a campaign of raids and arrests in the Damascus neighborhood of Adawi. Several residents were taken away, the report said.

The capital's fighting started Wednesday when rebels waged attacks on army checkpoints in Jobar and tried to push their way to enter the capital. With the Syrian army responding with heavy shelling and firepower, sounds of shells have become daily routine since Wednesday.

Earlier Friday, the state media said the sheikh of Salahuddien Mosque in northern city Aleppo was killed when mortar shells fired by armed groups landed at the mosque.

Syria has been engulfed in a bloody conflict between opposition forces and government troops since March 2011. It has so far claimed some 60,000 lives, according to UN estimates.

Syrian troops repulse rebels' attack against army post near Damascus

Source : Xinhua | English.news

DAMASCUS, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian troops repulsed Saturday an armed group's attack on a military post in the countryside of the capital Damascus, a military source was quoted by the state-run SANA news agency as saying.

The troops confronted the group, which tried to attack the military post in Kafr Nasej, SANA said, adding that the troops dealt heavy losses to the assailants.

The incident comes as the clashes in the suburbs outlining the eastern part of Damascus have been ongoing for days after the rebels tried to wage a wide-scale attack on the capital.

The clashes have been raging in the eastern suburbs of Jobar and Zamalka and the western countryside of Daraya and Muadamieh.

Activists said the Syrian troops used air force in striking some rebels' strongholds and carried out raids and arrests in the central district of Midan.

The battles in Damascus are the latest in a series of intense fighting that has engulfed most of Syrian cities over the past 22 months of crisis, during which more than 60,000 people were killed.

Syrians start complaining of medication shortage

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

AMASCUS, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- "She peeked from under her glasses at the prescription, wrinkled her nose and said hastily: 'sorry I have none of those drugs.' She kept repeating the same things to at least four customers," Sahar, a mother of two, described what happened to her when searching for medication for eczema to her 16- year-old daughter at a drug store in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

"Most of the medical factories have shut down and a lot of drugs have disappeared from the market," the pharmacist told Sahar resentfully.

While the pharmacist was explaining to Sahar about the medication shortage, a man burst into the pharmacy and put a prescription on the table in front of the pharmacist, exclaiming: "Do you have this drug?... I looked for it at several pharmacies but I didn't find it!"

"Regretfully, no," the pharmacist answered.

Some pharmacies said that the shortage will be more severe due to the absence of a quick and appropriate solution to restart the medicine manufacturing plants, most of them in Syria's northern province of Aleppo and Rif Damascus.

Head of Syria's syndicate of pharmacists, Fares al-Sha'ar, told local media recently that the crisis could be solved by raising the price of drugs to enable pharmaceutical companies to secure raw materials.

He indicated that the government's approval to raise prices up to a maximum 40 percent is necessary and a step in the right direction but not enough, "as this would barely cover the cost."

Syria's Minister of Health Saad al-Nayef reportedly said that the economic sanctions imposed on Syria have heavily harmed the country's health sector.

Nayef revealed that 32 national hospitals are now out of service, adding that six pharmaceutical laboratories have been totally destroyed and 68 others are still working with 50-percent capacity.

He denied reports about the absence of many drugs in the local market, hinting only to the difficulty of transporting them.

However, some medical sources confirmed that there are serious studies to increase domestic prices of medicines between 50 and 100 percent.

Foreign terrorists killed Syrian cleric in mortar attack on mosque in Aleppo

Source : Islamic Invitation Turkey

A Syrian cleric has been killed in a mortar attack carried out by the “terrorists” on a mosque in the northern city of Aleppo.

The Syrian SANA news agency said that Sheikh Abdullatif al-Jamili lost his life on Friday when the mortars hit Salahuddin mosque in al-Ashrafiah neighborhood of the flashpoint city.

Repots also say at least eight people, including children and women, were killed in a separate mortar attack in the city on the same day.

The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed.

The militants supported by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, the US and the Israeli regime are trying to bring down the Syrian government. However, they have failed to topple the Syrian government due to the successes of the army and vigilance of Syrian people.

Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

Armed opposition must lay down weapons first, before dialogue: Syrian minister

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

AMASCUS, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian Information Minister Omran al- Zoubi said Friday that the armed groups on ground must lay down weapons first before the halt of military operations as a prelude to dialogue.

In an interview with the state TV aired Friday evening, al- Zoubi said the governmental committee, tasked with preparing for the national dialogue in accordance to the plan of President Bashar al-Assad, is ready to sit with all parties after they lay down weapons for the dialogue to start.

There must be a commitment for the halt of violence in all its shapes to make the dialogue process successful in all its stages, he said.

The minister pointed out that the commitment of some regional countries to curb the flow of weapons to the armed groups on ground, would help in making the political process a success.

Meanwhile, the minister called on the displaced people to return to their homes, stressing that they will not be pursued and would be provided with all facilitation to Syria.

He said the Syrian Red Crescent will start establishing liaison with the Syrian refugees in neighboring countries in order to prepare for their return.

Dispute Flares between Nusra Front, Other Terrorists in Syria

Source : Islamic Invitation Turkey

Dispute has erupted between militants in Syria and al-Qaeda affiliated group, “Nusra” front in the province of Aleppo, media reported.

According to the Syrian daily, al-Watan, the dispute changed to be armed clashes between the militants and “Nusra front” which is believed to be the most powerful armed group in Aleppo.

The newspaper said that the clashes left four militants killed, adding that the militants were from Tawheed Brigade, another armed group in Aleppo.

Al-Watan quoted an Aleppo resident as saying that the clashes broke out after militants from Tawheed Brigades tried to kidnap a gunmen, of the Libyan nationality, from Nusra Front, in Tareeq al- Bab (the road of the door) neighborhood.

However, the daily added, that the Nusra”front discovered the kidnapping attempt, and then executed four militants of Tawheed in front of residents in a bid to scare them.

Syrian Army annihilates 54 extremists in Raqqa, al-Nusra leader and 40 members in Aleppo

Source : Islamic Invitation Turkey

The Syrian Arab Army carried out several operations against the Free Army militias in the country sides of Aleppo and Edlib.

The leader in al-Qaeda linked in al-Nusra Front Safeeh Ghanem, accompanied with 40 members in the front, got killed in an operation for the Syrian Army on their den in Mennegh area of Aleppo countryside.

The processes continued in Aleppo countryside by targeting positions in Kweirs, Khasheesh, Khan Touman and al-Sfeira, killing about 35 militants and totally destroying their dens.

The armed confrontations continued near al-Shabiba Camp near al-Nairab town, killing 10 insurgents, including the leader Jumaa Abu Khalid, where the army confronted an armed attack by gunmen on Wadi al-Deif town.

The confronting claimed the lives of 17 insurgents; one of them is called Muhammad A’zazi.

On the other hand, the Syrian Arab Army confronted an attack by the fighters of Free Army militia on strategic locations in Raqqa city.

The Army foiled an attack on al-Mashlab checkpoint in the eastern entry of Raqqa, killing and wounding about 14 of the attackers.

The Syrian Army confronted another attack on the bricks factory in the western side of Raqqa eastern countryside, killing the leader Tareq al-Hamdan, Muhammad al-Sheikh Ali and more than 33 other militants.

The Syrian Arab Army units also killed 7 members in Free Army militia, including Abed al-Haleen al-Omar and Basheer al-Mutlaq, during clashes near al-Baath dam in al-Tabaqa of Raqqa.

Syrian defense minister says army can't be beaten

Source : Maan News Agency

BEIRUT (Reuters) -- Syria's defense minister said the army had proved it would not be defeated in its confrontation with rebels trying to overthrow President Bashar Assad, but declined to say whether it would respond to an Israeli air strike last week.

"This heroic Syrian Arab army proved to the world that it is a strong army, a trained army, an army that cannot be broken," Fahed al-Freij told state television in an interview broadcast on Monday.

He did not say whether Syria would retaliate against an Israeli raid on Wednesday which diplomats and security sources said targeted a convoy of weapons destined for Syria's ally Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.

Syria said the attack struck vehicles and buildings at a military research centre at Jamraya, north-west of Damascus and close to the Lebanese border.

Freij portrayed Israel's attack as a response to the failure of the rebels, who he described as "tools" of Israel, to destroy the Jamraya complex.

"Why does Syria not respond? It's the Israeli enemy which responded ... When the Israeli enemy saw that its tools were being pursued, and they did not achieve their results, it intervened," he said.

"It is a response to our military work against the armed gangs."

Syria protested last week to the United Nations over the Israeli raid, saying it considered it a violation of a military disengagement accord following their last major war in 1973.

Its ambassador to Lebanon also warned that Syria could decide on a "surprise" response to the attack.

Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak implied his country was behind the raid but officials have otherwise maintained silence, just as they did when Israel bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear site in 2007.

That attack did not prompt military retaliatio

Syria’s National Defense Forces: New Style of Fight against Insurgents

Source : http://www.almanar.com.lb

Damascus has managed to adopt a new style of fight against the foreign- backed insurgents via forming a popular army in a bid to support the national armed forces.

The National Defense Forces consist of popular committees formed in a spontaneous way, in addition to volunteers of civilians.

According to al-Manar correspondent, who toured a training camp for the National Defense Forces in the area of Latakia, this popular army is required to support the Syrian army in its mission to maintain security in the areas that witness chaos and attacks by foreign militants.

“Our army is set up of thousands of fighters. A group of fighters is being graduated twice a month after being well-trained,” one fighter told our correspondent.

Concentrated drills have been staged in a bid to train these forces to fight in the mountainous regions, the correspondent added.

“Other fighters are specialized with missions of surveillance and infiltration, in addition to collecting information about insurgents,” another fighter told the correspondent.

He added that there are militants who are in charge of dismantling explosive devices which are planted by the foreign militants.

Syrian troops repel rebels' attack on gunship

Source : Xinhua

DAMASCUS, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Armed rebels tried on Sunday to attack a Syrian helicopter gunship in the northeastern province of al-Raqqa when its crew members responded and killed many of the assailants, a pro-government TV said.

The helicopter had to land 15 km away from the al-Thawra military airport in that area due to a malfunction, al-Ekhbaria TV said, adding that the gunmen tried to attack the gunship but they were repelled by the troops.

The TV also reported clashes between the armed rebels and government troops in the vicinity of the central prison of the eastern province of Deir al-Zour on Sunday, adding that many armed men were killed during the clashes.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London- based activists' group, said that the local councilor of the city of Aleppo, Ibrahim Azooz, was killed on Saturday by rebel fighters along with his wife and daughter.

The Observatory on Sunday posted on its Facebook a video footage purporting to show Azooz lying dead in an alley in the Sheik Saeed district.

It also posted a video showing the rebels executing four young men on charges of having connections with the Syrian security forces and the killing of a rebel fighter.

Another video posted by the Observatory showed bodies being pulled out from a destroyed building in what the network said was a result of a bombardment by the Syrian army on al-Ansari al- Sharqi district in Aleppo.

However, pro-Syrian government online news websites said the building was destroyed when armed rebels tried to target a Syrian war jet with a rocket that missed the target and slammed the building at al-Ansari and killed many of its residents.

Yet, neither report could be independently verified.

Blasts and attacks have become daily routines in Syria that has been gripped by a 22-month-old crisis that left more than 60,000 people killed amid faltering efforts for peace, according to UN figures.

Related:

Roadside bomb kills 1 in Syrian capital

Source : APA

Baku-APA. One person was killed and another injured on Saturday when a roadside bomb ripped through the time- honored al-Hijaz area in the hea of Syrian capital Damascus, local media said, APA reports. The roadside bomb went off near a coffee shop at al-Naser Street, local media said, adding that the blast killed a member of bomb squads who came to defuse it.

Also in Damascus on Saturday, an explosive device affixed under a car we off near al-Shagour area in central the city, injuring the driver and causing material damages, reports said.

Meanwhile, armed rebels using snipers and bomb shells attacked on Saturday the police station of al-Qadam suburb of Damascus, killing a policeman and injuring other two, local media said, adding that many reb were also killed in the assault.

Blasts and attacks have become daily routines in Syria that has been gripp by a 22-month-old crisis which left more than 60,000 people killed amid faltering efforts for peace.

Clashes continues in Syria, opposition leader renews desire for dialogue

Source : Xinhua

DAMASCUS, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Clashes have continued in Syria, particularly in the south and east of the capital Damascus as the head of the main opposition coalition reiterated desire to embark on talks with representatives of the administration of President Bashar al-Assad.

Clashes continued Saturday in the southern sprawling suburbs of Daraya and Muadamieh between the rebels and the government troops amid reports that the Syrian military has beefed up presence in the vicinity of those areas to hasten dislodging the rebels and ending the fight there that has been dragging on for more than two months.

The reports said that the battles continued also in the eastern suburbs of Ghouta and Douma and the Beit Sahem town near the road to the international airport of Damascus.

The violence continues as the head of the main opposition coalition, Moaz al-Khatib, repeated on Friday previous surprising statement that he is ready to embark of talks with Assad's regime with conditions such as to release detainees and renew documents of Syrians abroad.

His remarks came during a late-night panel talks with joined UN- Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi at the Munich Security Conference, a day ahead of their meeting with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

The U.S. vice president is also set to meet the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday after his meeting with both Brahimi and al-Khatib.

The broad-based opposition has for long rejected any dialogue with the Assad administration until the ouster of Assad himself, but the recent statement by al-Khatib stipulated no departure of Assad as a prelude to dialogue. Al-Khatib said that the talks would be held with Syrian officials whose hands didn't smear in Syrians blood.

Last Wednesday, al-Khatib said the same stance on his Facebook page, but the oppositional Syrian National Council said his remarks were personal and didn't reflect the stance of all opposition factions abroad.

During his Munich meeting, al-Khatib also called for "some sort of electronic hacking" to hinder the bombardment of Syrian aircraft to populated areas and "if that doesn't work," he said, " I would demand to destroy the planes and weapons of the Syrian regime."

He warned that the persistent of the 22-month conflict in Syria would have grave repercussions on the entire region, calling on the international community not to be "bystanders" regarding what is happening in Syria.