Syria’s Air Force Carries Out Airstrikes Against Rebels at More Than Double the Usual Rate

Syria’s air force carried out strikes against rebels at more than double its usual rate, Reuters reports, citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The group claims that there were 12-20 raids on Damascus and an average of 40 strikes on Idlib and Hama provinces on Monday.

The intensified attacks by the Syrian government have raised concerns that the regime is taking advantage of the U.S.-led strikes on the Islamic State (ISIS) to ramp up its own air campaign against the Syrian opposition.

The regime has scored a series of gains and offensive victories, while rebels combat both regime and ISIS forces. Analysts claim that the rebels lack the organization and resources to fight those two battles effectively and at the same time.

Both ISIS and the Syrian government have been accused of committing war crimes, with Syrian civilians vulnerable to brutal attacks from multiple fronts.

ISIS Suicide Attacks Hit the Kurdish Town of Kobani

Three suicide attacks hit the Kurdish town of Kobani near the Syrian-Turkish border on Monday, Reuters reports.

In one of the strikes an ISIS suicide bomber detonated a truck laden with explosives in the northern district of Kobani. The second suicide attacker blew himself up in a vehicle east of Kobani near a local police station and government offices, according to the AP.

“The attacks were part of a three-pronged assault from the eastern side of Kobani, as fierce fighting between Kurds and ISIS resumed in the southern part of the city.”

U.S.-led air strikes have so far failed to stop ISIS, which has from taken roughly one-third of the town of Kobani. Last Friday, ISIS took control of a Kurdish security quarter in eastern Kobani where security assets and government buildings are located, including a police station.

The failure to protect Kobani from an ISIS advance will be one of the main points of discussion during a meeting today in Washington of military chiefs from the 21 countries in the U.S.-led coalition. The talks will also look at Turkey’s call for a protective buffer zone.

Turkey Says No Deal Special on Using Its Air Base to Strike ISIS

Turkey and the U.S. offered contradictory views on Monday, on the use of Turkish military bases for coalition air strikes on ISIS.

Turkish officials are denying U.S. claims that they reached an agreement on the use of Incirlik base, which is of strategic operational importance because of its location within 100 miles of the Syrian border.

The divergence reflects a larger rift between the two countries. Turkish leaders have pushed the U.S. to establish a no-fly zone in northern Syria and to make a greater effort to dislodge Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Turkey wants a buffer zone to help contain the refugee crisis pouring over its borders; it would also have a strategic value in providing moderate rebels with a safe terrain for operation.

The U.S. has been reluctant to create a no-fly zone, which would require a more significant, risky and expensive military intervention in Syria. In reference to Incirlik, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that “the base was already being used for reconnaissance purpose in Iraq. “But as a base for a more extensive operation … we have already made our position clear: There has to be a no-fly zone and a safe haven must be declared.”

Turkish officials say that there is a consensus on the train and equip program for Syrian rebels, but that further steps are pending discussion on the creation of a no-fly zone.

Syria Eases Aid Access to Opposition-Held Areas, But Can’t Reach Those Under ISIS Control

United Nations aid convoys cannot reach vast areas of Syrian territory under Islamic State control, a senior U.N. official told Reuters.

According to Yacoub El Hillo, the U.N. coordinator in Syria, the U.N. has not been able to deliver aid to the Islamic State-controlled eastern provinces of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor since 2013. ISIS has been known to kidnap aid workers and reportedly rules roughly one-third of Syria.

El Hillo also said that rival opposition groups have also prevented U.N. convoys from entering Islamic State-controlled areas. Resolution 2165 passed in July authorized the delivery of cross-border aid without government consent. Since it passed, 20 convoys have crossed over the Syrian border to deliver aid to areas controlled by opposition groups other than the Islamic State. The resolution was seen as a breakthrough because of the government’s known tactic of using sieges and blocking aid access into opposition areas.

Although the increased access of aid to besieged areas previously blocked by the Damascus regime is a sign of success, 4.7 million Syrians continue to live in areas that are hard to reach, including at least 241,000 people who are living under siege.

Recommended Reads:

New York Times: For Syrian Kurds, a Refuge in Turkey But Not a Home

Mashable: How the Media’s Focus on Kobani Obscures the War in Syria

CBS/AP: After Lull, Fierce Fighting Continues Between ISIS and Kurds Resumes in Kobani, Syria

The National: Pull Your Forces Out of Syria, Iran Told

Daily Star: Hezbollah Losses in Syria Boost its Defiance

Reuters: Guerilla Groups Hunt Down Islamic State in Syria