http://www.arabnews.com/node/1240811/middle-east
“The number of unexploded ordnance in Raqqa is something that we have never seen before. Extreme. Every house, every room, every inch of the city,” he said.
Landmines are causing 50-70 casualties a week — about the number that usually hit all of Afghanistan in a year — he said.
An alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias backed by a US-led coalition captured Raqqa in November after a long campaign to besiege the city followed by months of fighting inside it.
As well as land mines and improvised explosives planted by Daesh, there may also be undetonated bombs and missiles used by the coalition in its massive blitz of Raqqa.
The jihadist group still holds a few scattered pockets in Syria and Iraq, but has lost almost all its possessions in the two countries, where at its height it ruled over millions of people.
As when attacked in other parts of its self-declared “caliphate,” it used many booby traps as a tactic against its advancing foes. But in Raqqa many of the hidden bombs appear aimed at civilians.
“It is vicious to think they are deliberately planted to kill, to kill civilians, to kill people,” said Moumtzis.
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/...-in-Syrias-Ghouta-even-as-UN-pleads-for-truce
Damascus — Fresh air strikes by the Syrian military on the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, killed at least 16 civilians on Tuesday, a monitoring group said.
"There were 16 killed, two of them children, in intensive air raids carried out by the regime against several regions of Eastern Ghouta," Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said.
The Britain-based war monitor said Syrian government aircraft and shelling hit the towns of Harasta, Hamouriya, Douma and other parts of the eastern Ghouta pocket near the capital.
The United Nations in Syria appealed on Tuesday for a one-month truce in the conflict to allow aid to reach hundreds of thousands of civilians in urgent need of assistance.
In a statement issued in Damascus, the UN said a humanitarian crisis was unfolding in several parts of the country to which it was not being given access.
The UN's humanitarian coordinator and top envoys in Syria called "for an immediate cessation of hostilities lasting for at least one month throughout Syria."
The measure would "enable the delivery of humanitarian aid and services, evacuation of the critically sick and wounded, and alleviation of people's suffering, to the extent possible, wherever they are," the UN said.
On Monday, regime bombardment killed nearly 30 people in a rebel enclave near, as Syria's seven-year conflict left civilians paying a heavy price.
Residents across several Syrian battlefronts have reported escalating bombardment and have accused Syrian troops of deploying toxic chemicals against rebel-held zones.
The United States on Monday said there was “obvious evidence” of multiple chlorine gas attacks in recent weeks, including in the opposition-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.
On Monday, dozens of air strikes and artillery fire battered Eastern Ghouta, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"Twenty-nine civilians were killed and dozens were wounded," said the war monitor's head, Rami Abdel Rahman.
The deadliest raids on Monday hit a market in the town of Beit Sawa, killing 10 civilians including two children.
Another nine civilians, two of them children and one a local rescue worker, were killed in Arbin.
Eastern Ghouta is included in a de-escalation deal agreed last year by rebel ally Turkey and government supporters Iran and Russia.
But violence has ramped up there in recent weeks, and this month alone, chlorine is suspected of having been used on two occasions in munitions launched by the regime on Eastern Ghouta.
A third accusation of toxic gas use came from Idlib, an opposition-controlled province in the country's northwest that also falls in a de-escalation zone.
Nearly a dozen people were treated for breathing difficulties on Sunday after Syrian government raids on the town of Saraqeb, the Observatory said.
Mohammad Ghaleb Tannari, a doctor in a nearby town, said his hospital had treated 11 people.
"All the cases we received had symptoms consistent with inhaling the toxic chlorine gas, including exhaustion, difficulty breathing, and coughing," he told AFP.
The United States and Russia clashed at the UN Security Council on Monday over a push by Washington to condemn reported chlorine gas attacks in Syria.
On Jan. 20, Turkish forces backing Syrian rebels launched a major operation against the Kurdish-controlled region of Afrin in the north of the country.
Large numbers of people who were displaced by last year's operations against the Islamic State group in the Raqa and Deir Ezzor regions are still in urgent need of humanitarian relief.
The UN said existing agreements on the delivery of aid were not being honored and stressed that "if access was granted, three convoys could be dispatched each week, reaching over 700,000 people in these areas in two months."
While the fighting is abating in some parts of the country, the humanitarian crisis is still in full swing and aid groups predict a further 1.5 million people will be displaced in 2018. — Agencies
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/turkey-makes-pyd-pkks-4-km-ditch-in-syria-unusable/1056026
By Omer Koparan and Dildar Baykan
AZEZ, Syria
Turkish soldiers and Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters uncovered a 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) long ditch used by terrorist PYD/PKK group in a liberated village during Turkey’s ongoing Operation Olive Branch in northwestern Syria.
On the 18th day of the operation, the 3.5-meter deep and 3-meter wide ditch linking Dikmetas, under control of terror group, and opposition-held Yazibag villages was discovered.
Opposition forces, later, filled the ditch with soil and made it unusable.
A total of 970 PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terrorists have been "neutralized" since the launch of Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin region, the military said on Tuesday.
A total of 36 locations, including 23 villages and 11 strategic hills have been liberated so far in the operation.
On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch along with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to clear PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin, northwestern Syria.
According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkey’s borders and the region as well as protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.
The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.
The military also said only terror targets are being destroyed and that "utmost importance and sensitivity" is being put on avoiding harming civilians.
Afrin has been a major hideout for the PYD/PKK since July 2012, when the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without a fight.
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http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/russian-airstrikes-kill-4-civilians-in-syrias-idlib/1056085
IDLIB, Syria
Four civilians were killed on Tuesday when Russian fighter jets conducted a series of airstrikes in northern Syria, according to local civil-defense officials.
Both Russia and the Assad regime have continued to carry out fierce airstrikes, both in central Idlib and in rural areas, Mustafa Haj Youssef, head of the White Helmets civil-defense agency in Idlib, told Anadolu Agency.
“Four civilians lost their lives due to airstrikes carried out by Russian warplanes in Idlib’s town of Saraqib and the villages of Termala and Al-Gadfa,” Youssef said.
He went on to note that the bodies of eight other civilians killed two days earlier had been unearthed from the rubble of collapsed structures on Tuesday.
According to civil-defense officials, the death toll is expected to rise further as the airstrikes continue.
Over the course of the last week, dozens of civilians have been killed in Idlib as Russian and regime warplanes target residential areas and refugee camps.
Notably, Idlib falls within a network of de-escalation zones -- endorsed by Turkey, Russia and Iran -- in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.
Controlled largely by armed anti-regime groups, Idlib has remained the target of intense airstrikes for the last two months. In January alone, 211 civilians were killed and another 1,447 injured.
Syria remains locked in a devastating conflict that began in 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with disproportionate force and unexpected ferocity.
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http://aa.com.tr/en/turkey/downed-su-25-jet-pilots-body-handed-over-to-russia/1055859
MOSCOW
Downed Su-25 fighter jet pilot's body has been delivered to Russia, according to the Russian Defense Ministry Tuesday.
"The body of Roman Filipov has been returned, thanks to the actions of Russian intelligence service and Turkish Armed Forces," the ministry said in a statement.
A farewell ceremony at the request of Filipov's family will be held on Feb. 7 in Russian southern city of Voronezh, it added.
On Saturday, a Russian Su-25 fighter jet was shot down while flying over the Idlib de-escalation zone.
Located in northern Syria near the Turkish border, the Idlib province was declared a de-escalation zone.
In the de-escalation zones -- endorsed by Turkey, Russia and Iran -- acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.
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http://aa.com.tr/en/life/pyd-pkk-rocket-attack-devastates-family-in-north-syria/1055880
The PYD/PKK terror organization has once again demonstrated its ugly face by destroying dreams of the Tavil family, who live in Azaz district of Aleppo in northern Syria.
It is well known that the PYD/PKK targets mosques, hospitals and schools. On Monday, the terror group targeted Tavil family in Azaz with rockets as they were heading to work on a farm; a child lost his life while five others were injured in the incident.
The Tavil family lost their 10-year-old son, Abir, on Monday. Words cannot describe the pain experienced by the family, they said.
Among other family members injured in the rocket attack were: 2-year-old Surayya, 4-year-old Ahmad, 11-year-old Yousuf and 13-year-old Sayma and their uncle.
Sayma, who was taken to a hospital in southern Kilis province, will be operated upon Tuesday. The young girl remains unaware of the death of her brother Abir.
'Operation Olive Branch' to Afrin
ALEPPO, SYRIA - JANUARY 30: A member of Free Syrian Army (FSA) patrols near a tunnel, which was used by PKK/PYD terror groups, after Turkish Armed Forces and FSA freed a village then discovered the tunnel within the "Operation Olive Branch" launched in Syria's Afrin region, on January 30, 2018. Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region; the aim of the operation is to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to eliminate PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terror groups, and protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists. ( Emin Sansar - Anadolu Agency
'Operation Olive Branch' to Afrin
ALEPPO, SYRIA - JANUARY 30: Members of Free Syrian Army (FSA) patrol near a tunnel, which was used by PKK/PYD terror groups, after Turkish Armed Forces and FSA freed a village then discovered the tunnel within the "Operation Olive Branch" launched in Syria's Afrin region, on January 30, 2018. Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region; the aim of the operation is to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to eliminate PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terror groups, and protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists. ( Emin Sansar - Anadolu Agency )
'Operation Olive Branch' to Afrin
ALEPPO, SYRIA - JANUARY 30: A member of Free Syrian Army (FSA) enters a tunnel, which was used by PKK/PYD terror groups, after Turkish Armed Forces and FSA freed a village then discovered the tunnel within the "Operation Olive Branch" launched in Syria's Afrin region, on January 30, 2018. Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region; the aim of the operation is to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to eliminate PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terror groups, and protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists. ( Emin Sansar - Anadolu Agency )
Operation Olive Branch
HATAY, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 1: Military vehicles and personnel of Turkey are being dispatched to Turkey’s Hatay border to support the units within the 'Operation Olive Branch' launched in Syria's Afrin region, on February 01, 2018 in Hatay, Turkey. Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region; the aim of the operation is to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to eliminate PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terror groups, and protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists. ( Burak Milli - Anadolu Agency )
Operation Olive Branch
HATAY, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 1: Military vehicles and personnel of Turkey are being dispatched to Turkey’s Hatay border to support the units within the 'Operation Olive Branch' launched in Syria's Afrin region, on February 01, 2018 in Hatay, Turkey. Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region; the aim of the operation is to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to eliminate PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terror groups, and protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists. ( Burak Milli - Anadolu Agency )
'Operation Olive Branch' to Afrin
HATAY, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 01: A photo taken from Turkey's Hatay province shows Turkish Armed Forces' artillery as they continue to hit PYD/PKK terror group targets within the 'Operation Olive Branch' launched in Syria's Afrin, on February 01, 2018. Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region; the aim of the operation is to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to eliminate PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terror groups, and protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists. ( Eren Bozkurt - Anadolu Agency )
Operation Olive Branch' to Afrin
HATAY, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 01: A photo taken from Turkey's Hatay province shows Turkish Armed Forces' artillery as they continue to hit PYD/PKK terror group targets within the 'Operation Olive Branch' launched in Syria's Afrin, on February 01, 2018. Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region; the aim of the operation is to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to eliminate PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terror groups, and protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists. ( Eren Bozkurt - Anadolu Agency )
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'Operation Olive Branch' to Afrin
HATAY, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 01: A photo taken from Turkey's Hatay province shows Turkish Armed Forces' artillery as they continue to hit PYD/PKK terror group targets within the 'Operation Olive Branch' launched in Syria's Afrin, on February 01, 2018. Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region; the aim of the operation is to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to eliminate PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terror groups, and protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists. ( Eren Bozkurt - Anadolu Agency )
'Operation Olive Branch' to Afrin
HATAY, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 01: A photo taken from Turkey's Hatay province shows Turkish Armed Forces' artillery as they continue to hit PYD/PKK terror group targets within the 'Operation Olive Branch' launched in Syria's Afrin, on February 01, 2018. Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region; the aim of the operation is to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to eliminate PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terror groups, and protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists. ( Eren Bozkurt - Anadolu Agency )
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ov...egic-areas-captured-in-afrin-operation-126857
A total of 970 YPG and ISIL militants have been “neutralized” since the launch of “Operation Olive Branch” in Syria’s Afrin district, the military said on Feb. 6.
Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized” to imply the militants in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.
In a statement, the Turkish General Staff said 23 People's Protection Units (YPG) and Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) militants had been neutralized on Feb. 6.
On Jan. 20, Turkey launched “Operation Olive Branch” to clear “YPG and ISIL militants” from Syria’s northwestern Afrin district.
Afrin village captured
Turkish forces and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Feb. 5 captured another village from YPG militants in Syria’s Afrin.
According to a correspondent based in the region, Dikmetaş village in the town of Sharan and Mount Sirghaya were both cleared of militants.
Since the beginning of Turkey’s “Operation Olive Branch” on Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces and the FSA have managed to capture 36 strategic areas.