Rebels kill 34 in Aleppo

IS suffers setback as Kurds take key town

AFP, BEIRUT: Rebel rocket fire killed at least 34 civilians in Aleppo in one of the bloodiest days of the conflict for government-held areas of Syria's second city, a monitoring group said Tuesday. Twelve children were among the dead as Islamist rebel factions pounded western neighbourhoods of the city with more than 300 rockets on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Right said. Control of the city is divided between rebels in the east, and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in the west. Both sides frequently bombard each other but Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that Monday's deaths marked "one of the highest tolls in opposition attacks in Aleppo city". "The number of deaths is likely to rise, as there are roughly 190 people wounded, including dozens in critical condition with serious wounds," he said. "With dead and wounded combined, it adds up to the most violent day for government-controlled parts of Aleppo city in the whole war." The rocket fire came as UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura arrived in Damascus for fresh talks with government officials on ending the four-year conflict.
AFP adds from AKÇAKALE, Turkey, Kurdish fighters seized control yessterday of a key border town from the Islamic State group, cutting a major supply line in the biggest setback yet for the jihadists in Syria. From across the frontier in Turkey, the Kurds and allied Syrian rebels could be seen raising their banners in place of the black IS flag and taking up positions at the Tal Abyad border post. Fighters with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia waved their yellow banner as Turkish troops looked on from the other side of the frontier. The capture of Tal Abyad, used by IS as a gateway from Turkey to its de facto capital Raqa city, was "the biggest setback to IS since it announced its caliphate one year ago," said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. The frontier town was a key conduit for foreign fighters and supplies into IS-held territory in Syria and for exports of black market oil from jihadist-held fields in eastern Syria, analysts say.

Rebels kill 34 in Aleppo

IS suffers setback as Kurds take key town

AFP, BEIRUT: Rebel rocket fire killed at least 34 civilians in Aleppo in one of the bloodiest days of the conflict for government-held areas of Syrias second city, a monitoring group said Tuesday. Twelve children were among the dead as Islamist rebel factions pounded western neighbourhoods of the city with more than 300 rockets on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Right said. Control of the city is divided between rebels in the east, and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in the west. Both sides frequently bombard each other but Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that Mondays deaths marked one of the highest tolls in opposition attacks in Aleppo city. The number of deaths is likely to rise, as there are roughly 190 people wounded, including dozens in critical condition with serious wounds, he said. With dead and wounded combined, it adds up to the most violent day for government-controlled parts of Aleppo city in the whole war. The rocket fire came as UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura arrived in Damascus for fresh talks with government officials on ending the four-year conflict. AFP adds from AKAKALE, Turkey, Kurdish fighters seized control yessterday of a key border town from the Islamic State group, cutting a major supply line in the biggest setback yet for the jihadists in Syria. From across the frontier in Turkey, the Kurds and allied Syrian rebels could be seen raising their banners in place of the black IS flag and taking up positions at the Tal Abyad border post. Fighters with the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) militia waved their yellow banner as Turkish troops looked on from the other side of the frontier. The capture of Tal Abyad, used by IS as a gateway from Turkey to its de facto capital Raqa city, was the biggest setback to IS since it announced its caliphate one year ago, said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. The frontier town was a key conduit for foreign fighters and supplies into IS-held territory in Syria and for exports of black market oil from jihadist-held fields in eastern Syria, analysts say.