Syrian Opposition Calls Upon the E.U. to Pressure Russia Back Into Peace Talks

The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), Syria’s main opposition body, called upon the European Union on Monday to enforce targeted sanctions on Russian companies aiding the war in Syria.

A report from Reuters said the call for sanctions came as the HNC is trying to strengthen its position before Geneva peace talks are potentially renewed next month. Bassma Kodmani, an HNC negotiator, proposed sanctions against companies involved in arms shipments, pointing out that sanctions have been previously used by E.U. policymakers in other crises, including in the Ukraine.

Russia is one of the Syrian government’s strongest allies, and officially joined the conflict in September 2015 by providing aerial assistance to the forces of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Kodmani said the HNC is preparing to present a detailed document outlining Syria’s political transition to the U.N.

Lebanese Army Detain 103 Syrians After Border Bombings

The Lebanese military detained more than 100 Syrians in the Baalbek region for illegally entering Lebanon, following a wave of suicide bombings yesterday that targeted the predominantly Christian village of Qaa near the Syrian border.

Four suicide bombings on early Monday morning were followed by five more explosions, killing five and injuring up to 30 people in Qaa, as detailed in a report by the Associated Press.

The Baalbek region is home to many informal Syrian refugee settlements. Qaa is one of only two majority Christian villages in the Hermel region, which is predominantly Shiite and influenced by the Hezbollah group. The border area has seen many attacks by Sunni extremists in the past five years.

No group has claimed responsibility for Monday’s bombings.

Refugees Stranded at the Jordanian Border, Running Out of Food

International relief workers on Monday said Syrian refugees stuck outside Jordan’s northeastern border are running out of food.

This followed the Jordanian army shutting down the area, blocking aid convoys from going through. The decision to close the border even to aid convoys, reports Reuters, came in response to a suicide attack that killed seven border guards last week.

Jordan, a member of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), announced the area was a closed military zone after the attack last Tuesday. The suicide bomber is believed to have been a member of ISIS.

Nearly 70,000 refugees, mostly women and children, have been stuck in the no man’s land for months. Now, only water tanks are allowed to pass through, as food convoys are being held back for the sixth day.

The Jordanian authorities offered no explanation for the blocking of the aid. Following the attack, the Jordanian foreign minister said the country’s security surpasses humanitarian concerns.

Recommended Reads

• Al-Monitor: Who is Killing Syrian Opposition Figures in Aleppo, Idlib?
• The Washington Times: Pentagon’s $400M Reboot of Syrian Rebel Fighter Training Program off to Slow Start
• Reuters: ‘I Study in a Cave’: Going to School in Syria
• The Washington Post: Four Reasons Why Killing Insurgents in Syria Might Backfire
• Al Jazeera: Syria’s War: Women Risk Death to Give Birth in Aleppo