The Latest: Merkel: Russia sanctions over Syria an ‘option’
BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the developments in the Syrian civil war (all times local):
3:35 p.m.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says sanctions against Russia over its actions in Syria should remain an option.
Merkel says she and France’s President Francois Hollande will discuss Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a planned meeting on Ukraine in Berlin on Wednesday, but cautioned against expecting “miracles.”
Both leaders have been sharply critical of Russia’s support for the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Merkel said on Tuesday that she is “of the opinion that no options, including that of sanctions, can be taken off the table in view of the situation, but the priority is that we look at lessening people’s suffering in some way, and that will be an issue tomorrow.”
___
1:55 p.m.
A U.N. official says Russia has communicated plans for a total of three eight-hour pauses in military actions in rebel-held parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo over “consecutive days” this week.
Spokesman Jens Laerke of the U.N. humanitarian coordinator OCHA says the agency needs assurances from all sides that the fighting will definitively stop before it can provide humanitarian assistance to Aleppo, ship in aid and evacuate the sick and the wounded.
Russia has so far only announced an 8-hour pause on Thursday.
Moscow said that Russian and Syrian airstrikes were halted in eastern, rebel-held parts of Aleppo on Tuesday in preparation for the pause. Laerke specified that it would be up to Russia to elaborate on its plans.
He says the U.N. was not told in advance of the Russian announcement.
___
2:35 p.m.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country is engaged in talks with the U.S.-led coalition about participating in an operation to oust the Islamic State militants from their stronghold in Raqqa, Syria.
Erdogan told a group of academicians on Tuesday that Turkey had told U.S. officials that it was willing to take part in such an offensive.
The Islamic State group has proclaimed the city of Raqqa as the seat of its self-styled Islamic caliphate.
Erdogan says Turkey would “participate in this operation” and that “these discussions are now taking place.”
The Turkish leader also says the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters, who have taken the key towns of Jarablus, al-Rai and Dabiq in Syria, are now advancing further south toward the IS-held town of al-Bab.
He hinted at possible military action against Syrian Kurdish militia if they did not meet a promise to leave the town of Manbij, which they recently re-took from the IS militants.
Turkey sent troops and tanks into northern Syria to help Syrian opposition fighters clear a border area of the IS militants and curb Syrian Kurdish militia from making territorial gains.
___
1:55 p.m.
Syrian activists say warplanes have struck two rebel-held villages in the northern Aleppo province shortly after Russian and Syrian airstrikes were halted against rebel-held neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Ibrahim Alhaj, a spokesman for the Civil Defense, say that Tuesday’s airstrikes hit villages of Anadan and Daret Azzehe.
They had no immediate word on casualties. Aleppo is the capital of the province with the same name.
Earlier on Tuesday, Russia’s defense minister said Russian and Syrian warplanes halted their airstrikes on the city of Aleppo in preparation for a temporary eight-hour pause in offensive operations that Moscow has announced for later in the week.
Meanwhile, Syria’s state news agency SANA says rebels shelled two government-held western neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo, killing a woman and wounding three people.
___
8:30 a.m.
Russia has announced that Russian and Syrian warplanes are halting airstrikes on the besieged city of Aleppo.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says the airstrikes were suspended starting from 10 a.m. on Tuesday. He says the suspension is intended to prepare for the opening of humanitarian corridors for the rebels to leave Aleppo.
Russia says its forces and the Syrian army will observe a “humanitarian pause” between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Thursday, to allow civilians and militants safe passage out of the city. At that time, Syrian rebels, including al-Qaida militants, as well as the wounded and the sick will be allowed to leave to the neighboring rebel-held province of Idlib.
Shoigu urged the countries wielding influence with the rebels in Aleppo to persuade them to leave the city.
Leave a Reply