Syria
According to United Nations, over 4 million people have fled Syria since 2011, seeking safety in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and beyond. Millions more are displaced inside Syria and, as war continues, hope is fading fast.
Thousands of civilians have fled an offensive by the Islamic State group against non-jihadist rebels in northern Syria into territory controlled by a Kurdish-led alliance.
The offensive against the towns of Marea and Azaz threatens to overrun the last swathe of territory in the east of Aleppo province held by non-jihadist rebels and bring IS to the doorstep of the Kurdish enclave of Afrin.
US and Russia agreed to intensify work with all Syrian sides and concerned nations in order to ensure strict implementation of International Syria Support Group decisions and the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2254 and 2268.
New #Russia airstrikes in #Syria map. Russia claimed it stopped strikes v JN/oppo-not true. https://t.co/oHr8yS3ACi pic.twitter.com/K8LivPY186
— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) 28 mai 2016
Backed by the US-led coalition’s air cover, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been engaged in clashes with militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the northern countryside of Raqqa at three separate battlefronts over the past five days, officials said on Sunday. Moreover, the SDF on Sunday started a new operation against ISIS on the eastern bank of Euphrates, aimed at recapturing the key town of Tabqa.
- Disfiguring tropical bug spread across Syria after ISIS turn the streets into a filthy wasteland is now eating its way across the Middle East5 (Daily Mail)
A disfiguring tropical disease that had been contained to Syria has now spread across the Middle East as millions are displaced from the war-torn region. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread by bites from infected sand flies. The disease had been contained to Syria, particularly to regions under ISIS control such as Raqqa, Deir al-Zour and Hasakah.
Between 2000 and 2012, there were only six reported cases of the disease in Lebanon.But in 2013 alone there were 1,033 cases reported, of which 96 per cent occurred among the displaced Syrian refugees, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Turkey, Jordan, Easter Libya and Yemen have also reported hundreds of cases.
Civil Defence volunteers said that in 48 hours, Syrian government forces launched more than 700 air strikes on rebel held areas of Aleppo city, and across the province.
It is part of a concerted government assault on some of the last major rebel strongholds: Aleppo, Homs and Daraya.There has been a high civilian toll, with many children and babies among the dead and injured.
The United Nations said it may not be able to go ahead with planned aid drops saying it would be too dangerous without the Syrian government’s cooperation.
In a separate development, the top negotiator of the main opposition bloc,Mohammad Alloush , has resigned over the failure of peace talks.
The Syrian opposition’s chief peace negotiator, Mohammad Alloush, has resigned over the failure of peace talks to end the country’s civil war. Alloush, who represents the influential Jaish al-Islam rebel group, made his resignation public via Twitter, tweeting that his decision was a result of the failure of the international community to stop the atrocities of Bashar al-Assad’s regime against the Syrian people.
On 27 May 2016, the Council extended EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime until 1 June 2017. This decision is in line with the Council conclusions of December 2014 which affirmed that the EU would continue imposing and enforcing sanctions targeting the regime and its supporters as long as repression continues.
The sanctions currently in place include notably an oil embargo, restrictions on certain investments, a freeze of the assets of the Syrian central bank within the EU, export restrictions on equipment and technology that might be used for internal repression as well as on equipment and technology for monitoring or interception of internet or telephone communications. In addition, over 200 persons and 70 entities are targeted by a travel ban and an asset freeze over the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria.
- Seven accused of joining IS group in Syria go on trial in France (France24)
The men from Strasbourg in eastern France, all aged between 24 and 26, will go before the High Court of Paris to face charges of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, punishable by up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
Among the men, who were arrested in May 2014, is Karim Mohamed-Aggad, brother of Foued Mohamed-Aggad who was part of the three-man group that attacked the Bataclan concert hall on the night of the Paris attacks in November.
Turkey and USA work on joint invasion of Syria
The Turkish authorities are ready to join special operations of the United States on the territory of Syria, if Syrian Kurds do not participate in them, Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu said. According to the diplomat, the prime goal of the “second front” of Turkey and the US is to put an end to the movement of militants and cargoes of the Islamic State terrorist group via the Turkish-Syrian border.
Turkish military kills 28 Daesh terrorists in northern Syria (Daily Sabah)
The Turkish military on Sunday has killed at least 28 Daesh terrorists and destroyed two bomb-laden vehicles in northern Syria in retaliation to rocket fire.
Iraq
Thousands of Kurdish Peshmerga troops are involved in an offensive to retake formerly Kurdish villages near the ISIS-held town of Mosul, Kurdish officials say while Iraqi forces have started an operation to retake the ISIS stronghold of Falluja.
Saudi Arabia Slams Iran’s Role in Iraq as ‘Unacceptable’
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Sunday, 29th of May,that Iran must stop meddling in Iraq and that the presence of Iranian military units there is “unacceptable.”
On Monday, May 30th, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian declared that Iran will continue its advisory military assistance to the Iraqi and Syrian governments in their fight against terrorism.on Monday came a day after Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir called for an end to Iran’s support for Iraq and Syria in their fight against terrorist groups.
Iraqi military forces with Iran’s aid are currently battling Takfiri terrorists on several fronts. On Monday, Iraqi commanders said their forces have entered Fallujah in a major victory against militants.
Iraq begins operation to liberate Falluja
Iraqi forces have started an operation to retake the ISIS stronghold of Falluja with the help of Iraqi and coalition air support, Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasoul said on Iraqi state TV.
Iraqi government troops, backed by Shiite militias known as the Popular Mobilization Units and an air campaign by the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition, launched the offensive last week to retake the ISIS stronghold, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baghdad, first targeting outlying settlements.
Links/ Read More
- Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq
- TASS: Russian News Agency: Conflict in Syria
New ISW #ISIS Sanctuary Map. ISIS lost some terrain, but attacked in #Syria from new wilayat.https://t.co/7MRyaq3Z7K pic.twitter.com/9ctowsHBLU
— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) 26 mai 2016
#Map update of #Syria. Please retweet!
HD: https://t.co/9IksARqm7t pic.twitter.com/Rv8J5aAnyl— Gabriel Baznik (@gabebaznik) 23 mai 2016
