Five More U.S.-Backed Rebels Abducted

Another five U.S.-backed rebels have reportedly been abducted by the Nusra Front.

A U.S. defense official told the Washington Post the fighters were abducted several days ago near their compound close to the town of Azaz. But he cautioned that details were murky: “It is a dynamic situation on the ground there.”

Other reports said one of the Pentagon-trained fighters was killed and eight combatants from the so-called Division 30 were wounded before the five were abducted. Some 30 members of the Nusra Front were also reported to have been killed.

The abducted fighters are believed to be part of the original band of 54 trained by the Pentagon to fight ISIS and sent into Syria in July. The multimillion-dollar Pentagon program has struggled to attract recruits, in part because it asks them to pledge to attack only ISIS and not the Syrian army.

The apparent abductions come after the leader of Division 30 – a moderate opposition militia that has supplied fighters for America’s flailing program to train and equip anti-ISIS fighters – was captured by the Islamist group along with an undisclosed number of his fighters.

On Friday, U.S. warplanes bombed Nusra fighters who had launched the new attack against what U.S. officials are calling the New Syrian Force.

‘Comprehensive’ Fight Against ISIS Coming: Turkish F.M.

Turkey’s foreign minister said U.S. aircraft and drones are arriving at the country’s air bases and that they will soon launch a “comprehensive” battle against the Islamic State in Syria.

“As part of our agreement with the U.S. we have made progress regarding the opening up of our bases, particularly Incirlik. We’re seeing that manned and unmanned American planes are arriving and soon we will launch a comprehensive battle against Islamic State all together,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said on a trip to Malaysia on Wednesday, according to the Turkish state broadcaster TRT.

Turkey formally approved the use of its air bases, including the major air base of Incirlik, near the southern city of Adana, by U.S. and coalition aircraft late last month. The decision was a significant policy shift after years of reluctance to confront ISIS in northern Syria.

Ankara and the U.S. have also agreed to clear an 86-kilometer stretch of border land of the Islamic State, which could cut off a major part of the group’s supply of weapons and foreign fighters.

Syria F.M. Talking Peace with Iran and Russia: Reports

Syria’s foreign minister, Walid al-Moualem, is in Tehran for talks with Iranian and Russian officials expected to focus on efforts to end the civil war.

Iran and Russia have been Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s most stalwart allies during the civil war, providing military, financial and diplomatic support to the government. They have notably insisted that Assad remain in office under the terms of any agreement to end the conflict, a viewpoint opposed by Washington and Gulf countries.

Al-Moualem was to meet with Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian president Vladimir Putin’s special envoy to the Middle East, and Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Reuters quoted Iranian media as saying.

Notably, when asked about the visit, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian suggested a diplomatic resolution to the conflict was a growing possibility. “Fortunately we see a change in the strategy of regional players in the Syrian crisis. If four years ago they believed war is the only solution, now they prefer to focus on diplomacy,” he was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency.

Recommended Reads:

• The Atlantic: Why the U.S. Can’t Build an Opposition Army in Syria
• Stratfor: In Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra Complicates U.S. Strategy
• Foreign Policy: Will Mullah Omar’s Death Help the Islamic State?
• Business Insider: Syria is approaching a de facto breakup of the country
• Deutsche Welle: Syria: High stakes in US-Turkey gamble
• Washington Post: Syrian Christians and the English Jew
• Cato Institute: Mission Creep in Syria