LATEST: Claim — 13 Children Killed, 20+ Wounded By Rockets Near Damascus

WEDNESDAY FEATURES

Insurgent In-Fighting — A Proposal to Solve the Dispute in Northwest
“Islamic State Tortured Kobane’s Boys”

Reports on Tuesday indicated that the fighting in and near the Kurdish center of Kobane, after two months of an Islamic State offensive, is stalemated.

Kurdish militia and journalists reported battles in Kobane and to the east, south, and west, with neither the Kurds nor the Islamic State gaining an advantage.

The jihadists reportedly continue to hold about 40% of the city, mainly in its eastern sections.

Reports from Kurdish militia indicated joint operations with the Free Syrian Army, indicating an attempt to push back Islamic State units west of Kobane.

Islamic State video of destruction inside Kobane:

There was no word on 150 Iraqi peshmerga who arrived in and near Kobane last week. Officials said the peshmerga would not be on the frontlines, but would support the Kurds with artillery fire.

Little effect has also been seen from US airstrikes, which began last month.

Claim: 13 Children Killed, 20+ Wounded By Rockets Near Damascus

Claims are circulating that 13 children were killed and more than 20 wounded when three mortar rockets struck a school in Qaboun near Damascus on Wednesday.

Qaboun has been held by insurgents for most of the Syrian conflict. A truce was reached five months ago, and there had been no serious violence since then.

Activists said they believed pro-Assad forces were responsible for the attack, as it was unlikely that insurgents would fire at their own people.

Warning — Graphic Video:

State news agency SANA does not report the attack but says mortars killed two civilians in the Harasta suburb, while other assaults injured civilians in Rukn-Eddin and Asad-Eddin.

Video: Insurgents Fighting in the al-Zahraa Section of Aleppo

Insurgents firing at regime forces in al-Zahraa in northwest Aleppo (see map):