Syrian Army in Fierce Battle for Palmyra

The Syrian army edged to within several kilometres of the ancient city of Palmyra, which was recently captured by the Islamic State.

The soldiers, backed by combat planes, were engaged in fierce battles with the Islamic extremists and had advance to within five kilometres of the west of the UNESCO World Heritage site, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“Regime forces could enter the city at any moment. They are not far away and the area between them and the city is desert,” said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman, AFP reported.

The organization added that civilians in Palmyra were fleeing the intense aerial bombardment, which has reportedly targeted civilian areas and not the ancient ruins.

ISIS overran Palmyra on May 21 after launching an assault from its strongholds in eastern Deir al-Zor and northern Raqqa.

Turkey Warns Wave of Refugees Could Hit EU

Following the UN refugee agency’s announcement that more than four million Syrians have fled to neighboring countries, Turkey has warned that more refugees could spill directly into Europe.

“Turkey has reached its total capacity for refugees. Now, there is talk that a new wave of refugees may emerge. That would exceed Turkey’s [capacity], and it would put the EU face to face with more migrants,” Ankara’s EU minister, Volkan Bozkır, told Turkish newspaper Hürriyet Daily News, during a visit to Brussels for talks.

Bozkır also expressed disappointment with the international community’s lack of financial assistance in response to the refugee crisis. Turkey alone has taken in about two million of the refugees.

“We have spent $6 billion so far. The total amount that the EU has provided is 70 million euros ($78m) and it is still just a promise. It has not yet arrived with us,” he said.

U.S Circulates Draft U.N. Resolution to Assess Blame for Chemical Attacks

The United States has circulated a draft UN resolution to identify those responsible for carrying out alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria, the Associated Press has reported.

The move is the latest by Washington in its drive to use the Security Council to assess blame for such attacks, notably a rising number of chlorine gas attacks.

“Given the frequent allegations of chlorine attacks in Syria, and the absence of any international body to identify the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks, it is critical that the U.N. Security Council find consensus and set up an independent investigative mechanism,” Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said in a statement.

According to AP, the watchdog Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has condemned the use of chlorine in Syria as a breach of international law and has a mandate to carry out fact-finding missions. Nevertheless, neither that organization nor the U.N. has a mandate to determine responsibility for the use of chemical weapons.

The draft resolution, according to the news agency, asks U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, in co-ordination with OPCW director-general Ahmet Uzumcu, to submit to the council, within 15 days, recommendations to establish an “OPCW-United Nations joint investigative mechanism.”

Recommended Reads

• Washington Post: Syria’s Worsening Refugee Crisis Demands Action from the West
• Voice of America: As Syria Refugee Crisis Grows, Donors Lose Interest
• PBS: Who Are the 4 Million Syrian Refugees?
• Wall Street Journal: After Backing Regime, Syrian Minorities Face Peril
• Reuters: After Gains, Syria Rebels Face Tough Fight for Deraa, Aleppo
• Global Research: Iraq-Syria War Could Fragment Both Countries, Top US General Says