The rebels are advancing, the Assad regime is launching a counterattack: the situation in Syria is escalating dramatically. Now Germany and NATO partners are calling for moderation.
The United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom have all called for de-escalation in Syria, where rebels have marched on government-controlled areas in the past few days, reigniting violence in the 13-year-long conflict.
An alliance of Syrian rebel factions led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) reportedly seized control of Aleppo over the weekend. Syrian President Bashar Assad announced a counteroffensive, launching airstrikes with the help of allies.
Syrian and Russian airstrikes on the rebel-held city of Idlib in northwestern Syria killed at least 25 people, the opposition-run rescue service White Helmets, said early on Monday.
Assad’s army also said it had recaptured several towns from the rebels.
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Iraqi security forces arrested several officials, including five members of parliament, during an anti-corruption operation in Baghdad. The arrests, executed by the Counter Terrorism Service
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