Kerry And Lavrov in Talks on Possible Peace Deal
U.S. secretary of state John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are meeting in Geneva today in an attempt to forge a peace deal in Syria, Agence France-Presse reported.
“Their discussion follows recent conversations on Syria and will focus on reducing violence, expanding humanitarian assistance for the Syrian people, and moving toward a political solution needed to end the civil war,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.
If reached, the deal will include a cease-fire, humanitarian access to embattled areas and the resumption of peace negotiations.
Government Advance in Aleppo Threatens Tighter Siege
Syrian government forces made advances in Aleppo on Thursday, retaking positions they had lost to rebels last month, the Associated Press reported.
Forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, including the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group, captured the Ramouseh neighborhood on the southern edge of the city, as well as an adjacent hill.
Clashes continued on the Ramouseh front line on Friday, and activists in opposition-held areas reported heavy shelling on the eastern side of the city. Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, has been divided between a government-held western side and rebel-held eastern side since 2012.
Nearly 700 civilians have been killed on both sides of the city in the past 40 days of fighting, according to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The government advance threatens rebel-held districts with a tighter siege. Castello Road, formerly a key supply route for the rebel-held side of the city, was seized by government forces in July. Rebels broke the siege on their side of the city by taking control of the Ramouseh neighborhood, which they have now lost.
A spokesperson for the rebel group Nour el-Din el-Zinki said rebels will resume shelling Castello Road. It had previously been considered a possible route for humanitarian aid in international talks.
Senior Jabhat Fatah al-Sham Commander Killed
Airstrikes on Aleppo province killed a top commander of the group formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, BBC News reported.
Now known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, the group reported via Twitter that one of its commanders, Abu Omar Sarakeb, was killed in an airstrike on a village west of Aleppo city. The group changed its name in July, and claimed to have cut its ties with al-Qaida as well.
Other senior figures of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham were also killed, according to Reuters. It was unclear which country conducted the airstrikes. One of the most powerful rebel groups fighting the government in Syria, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham has a strong base in Idlib province.
Recommended Reads:
- The Guardian: Aid Groups Suspend Cooperation With U.N. in Syria Because of Assad ‘Influence’
- The Washington Post: Obama Administration Says Deal With Russia over Syria at Make-Or-Break Moment
- Al-Monitor: U.S. Backing Ensures Arab-Kurd Alliance in Syria Will Survive
- Human Rights Watch: Nations Condemn Use of Cluster Bombs
- The Atlantic: What is Aleppo? This is Aleppo