Rebels Take Last Government Airbase in Idlib
Syrian rebels have taken control of the last government airbase in the Idlib province of Syria, situated on the country’s Turkish border.
Syrian soldiers withdrew from the Abu al-Duhur airport, which was the last government-held position in the province, and it was overrun by a coalition of rebel groups that includes Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian arm of al-Qaida, reports Reuters.
It had been under siege by rebel groups for nearly two years, according to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Back in May, Jabhat al-Nusra and other mostly Islamist rebel groups took over Idlib city and most of the province.
U.S. Trying to Block Russian Military Role in Syria
The United States has asked Bulgaria and Greece to stop providing airspace to Russian planes as it increases efforts to prevent a Russian military buildup in Syria.
Bulgaria has shut its airspace to Russian transport planes heading to the city of Latakia on Syria’s coast, while Greece has yet to reply to the American request publicly, reports the New York Times.
On Wednesday, Russia confirmed that it had military experts on the ground in Syria, who assist in arms deliveries to Bashar al-Assad’s government forces.
While the U.S. and Russia agree about combating Islamic State, they differ on how to go about doing so. Russia remains a staunch ally of the Syrian government.
Mideast Sandstorm Kills Six Syrians
A sandstorm has hit Syria hard as it sweeps the Middle East, leaving at least six Syrians dead and bringing airstrikes by Bashar al-Assad’s government forces to a halt in areas across the country.
More than 1,200 Syrians, including 100 children, were treated in Homs for respiratory problems induced by the storm on Tuesday, reports Haaretz.
The Syrian government had to call off airstrikes in the central province of Hama, where rebel groups control large swaths of territory, according to Syrian state media.
Recommended Reads
- BBC: Inside a Hospital in Syrian Leader Assad’s Latakia Heartland
- NPR: That Little Syrian Boy: Here’s Who He Was
- The Guardian: Is It Legal for Australia to Bomb Syria? Five Facts You Need to Know
- Foreign Policy: Russian Troops Are in Syria, and We Have the Selfies to Prove It
- Vox: Why Syrians Are Risking Everything to Reach Europe, Explained in Nine Devastating Photos
Top photo: Fighters from Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian wing of al-Qaida, were part of the group that recently captured the last airbase in the Idlib province. (Associated Press)