PHOTO: Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces troops in northern Syria
LATEST
- Report: 4 Killed in Regime Shelling of al-Wa’er in Homs
- Britain Resettles Less Than 2,000 Syrian Refugees
- Report: Despite “Cessation of Hostilities”, Russia Continues to Bomb Opposition Areas
- Video: Father Holds Only Surviving Member of His Family
SUNDAY FEATURES
Cartoon: The Sadness and Evil of Bashar al-Assad
The Last US-Trained Rebels Are in Trouble
Facing an Islamic State offensive, rebels have handed over a village in northwest Syria to a Kurdish-led force, according to multiple reports from activists.
Free Syrian Army units were said to have turned over control of Sheikh Issa in northern Aleppo Province to the Syrian Democratic Forces on Saturday, as rebels battled ISIS on the outskirts.
Sheikh Issa has a population of about 6,000. It is to the west of the town of Mare’, the battlefront for more than two years which was cut off by a rapid ISIS advance on Friday.
While rebels reportedly regained a few villages after their Friday losses, Mare’ is still separated from the key town of Azaz near the Turkish border.
Rebels in northern Aleppo have also lost territory to the Kurdish militia YPG, which leads the SDF. The YPG — hoping to connect the Afrin canton in northwest Syria with the Jazira and Kobane cantons in the northeast — captured towns such as Deir Jamal and Tal Rifaat, which is to the west of Shiekh Issa.
Some pro-opposition activists claimed that the YPG were taking advantage of the Islamic State attacks to seize more territory. The deal over control of Sheikh Issa appeared to have been agreed by both the FSA and the SDF after discussions throughout Saturday, although one local source says, “The FSA had no other choice.”
Some reports say Jaish al-Thuwar, a dissident rebel faction which allied with the YPG last year, now holds the town.
Claimed video of Jaish al-Thuwar fighters:
Seven rebels were killed by a US-led coalition airstrike near Mare’, apparently in a “friendly fire” incident, while the pro-opposition Orient News claims that dozens of civilians were killed amid the fighting by other coalition attacks strikes on the village of Kaljibreen, taken by the Islamic State on Friday.
The pro-opposition Eldorar said a group of civilians held by the Islamic State outside Mare’ were freed. Others have fled, adding to an estimated 160,000 that have left the area since early this year and moved to camps near the closed Turkish borders.
Report: 4 Killed in Regime Shelling of al-Wa’er in Homs
Pro-opposition Qasioun News says four civilians have been killed by regime shelling of the besieged al-Wa’er neighborhood of Homs.
Two volunteers of the Syrian civil defense organization White Helmets were reportedly among the victims.
Footage of the damage:
Video of the rockets striking the district::
Britain Resettles Less Than 2,000 Syrian Refugees
Britain has resettled less than 2,000 Syrian refugees — about 10% of an already limited-commmitment — according to Government figures.
The Office for National Statistics reported on Thursday that Britain’s vulnerable persons relocation scheme dealt with only 1,854 refugees since the program was set up in May 2014.
Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to resettle 20,000 of almost 5 million Syrian refugees by 2020.
Report: Despite “Cessation of Hostilities”, Russia Continues to Bomb Opposition Areas
The Institute for the Study of War has documented that, despite the February 27 “cessation of hostilities”, Russia is continuing to bomb opposition areas in Syria:
Russia is conducting a concerted effort against opposition forces in Aleppo, following opposition gains against pro-regime forces in southern Aleppo throughout April and May 2016. Russian air operations have largely concentrated against positions along the opposition’s last remaining supply route into Aleppo City from May 13 – 26, including against towns northwest of the city and areas in Aleppo’s northern industrial outskirts. Pro-regime forces remain positioned to encircle and besiege opposition forces in Aleppo City by severing this supply route. Pro-regime forces continued low-level ground operations supported by Russian airstrikes from May 12 -17 to complete the encirclement through the city’s northern industrial districts, although these efforts were unsuccessful.
Russia has used the pretext of a focus on the Islamic State to cover its airstrikes — more than 80% of which were on opposition areas — since September 30, and the ISW says that the excuse is continuing:
The distribution of Russian air operations in northwestern Syria demonstrates Russia’s continued prioritization of support to the Assad regime…..Russian airstrikes escalated against opposition forces in northern Homs Province and southern Hama Province from May 12 – 16 and again from May 19 – 22 in response to renewed opposition operations against regime forces in the area. This concentration of strikes in defense of pro-regime terrain, however, was largely unable to reverse opposition gains.
Russia has meanwhile continued to present itself as an effective partner in the fight against terrorism, while continuing to function as a destabilizing force in the Syrian conflict.
Video: Father Holds Only Surviving Member of His Family
In the Sakhour hospital in Aleppo a father holds his injured child, the only member of his family to survive regime bombing:
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