Syrian Troops Repel Nusra-Led Attack on Aleppo

Syrian troops have reportedly repelled a major offensive by an alliance of rebel and Islamist groups on the divided city of Aleppo. Activists also said the government carried out a new chlorine gas attack.

The rebel attack on the western Zahra neighborhood – an effort coordinated by al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria, the Nusra Front – started on Monday with a suicide attack that killed 25 soldiers and pro-government militiamen.

In the following ground assault, the rebels captured buildings including the city’s Scientific Research Center, which was being used as a military base.

However, the state news agency SANA reported that the attack had largely been repelled and that dozens of rebels had been killed or injured. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that 19 insurgents had been killed since Monday in Zahra.

The Local Coordination Committees and the Observatory also reported that government troops had used chlorine gas on Tuesday while unsuccessfully attempting to recapture the Scientific Research Center, according to the Associated Press.

The Observatory said there were no casualties among the militants since most of them were wearing masks.

U.S. Defense Secretary: We’re Training Only 60 Syrian Fighters

The United States is currently training only 60 Syrian rebels to battle the Islamic State, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said.

Carter made the revelation about the $500 million program designed to train thousands of fighters before the Senate Armed Services Committee, indicating the low numbers were due in part to a rigorous screening process.

“This number is much smaller than we’d hoped for at this point, partly because of the vetting standards,” Carter said.

Members of the committee were unimpressed at the state of the Obama administration program intended to keep U.S. boots off the ground, which Congress reluctantly approved last fall.

“I’ve got to tell you, after four years, Mr. Secretary, that’s not a very impressive number,” Armed Services Chairman John McCain, Republican senator for Arizona, told Carter.

In a related U.S. development, the U.S. special envoy for the coalition against ISIS met with Turkish officials on Tuesday amid speculation the country could intervene militarily in Syria, according to AFP.

General John Allen was accompanied by U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy Christine Wormuth and military officials, and was expected to meet with Feridun Sinirlioglu, the Turkish undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry, and military chiefs, sources told the news agency.

Turkey has beefed up its military presence on the Syrian border over the past week, reportedly deploying tanks, anti-aircraft missiles and additional troops.

The moves have sparked speculation that Turkey plans to push the militants back from the border and halt the advance of Kurdish forces who have made gains against ISIS in northern Syria.

Syrian Tribal Leaders Hold Secret U.S. and U.N. Talks: Independent

Some Syrian tribal leaders have formed a new tribal coalition and have held secret talks with U.S. and U.N. officials in an attempt to try to end the civil war, the Independent reported.

In the exclusive report, the newspaper said the tribal chiefs met with the U.N. envoy, Staffan de Mistura, two weeks ago in Geneva, and were asked to to help reach a peace deal with the Syrian government. They also met early last month with General John Allen.

The chiefs have met, too, with ministers from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, which back the opposition with weapons and money, and will soon hold talks with King Abdullah of Jordan, the report said.

In interviews after forming the new “Coalition of Syrian Tribes and Clans,” the leaders said they were determined not to be manipulated by foreign powers, which they blame for Syria’s descent into chaos.

Their aim, said Ayid al-Utayfi, head of the Utayfiat clan of the Annaza tribe, was to form a united front for planning strategy evolving from talks with General Allen, so that a common goal could be developed that does not pit one tribe against another, the Independent reported.

“From now on we want such discussions to take place with the Coalition we have formed,” he said. “That way there will be much less chance of divisions and suspicion.”

Recommended Reads

• The Washington Post: America’s Latest Failure in Syria
• The Daily Beast: Unreliable Syrian Recruits for an Unworkable Obama Army to Fight ISIS
• Haaretz: Are Shock Troops Who Fight to Death ISIS’ Secret Weapon in Syria and Iraq?
• Voice of America: For Syrian Rebels, Kurds, Suspicions Grow
• Stratfor: Turkey Considers a Larger Role in Syria