Syria

Paris (AFP) – France has issued an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accused of complicity in crimes against humanity over chemical attacks in 2013, a judicial source and plaintiffs in the case said Wednesday.

President Joe Biden has ordered the US military to strike two facilities in eastern Syria

At least two civilians were killed when Russian air strikes hit an abandoned water pumping station in Syria's rebel-held northwest, rescuers said Wednesday, amid a recent uptick in attacks by Damascus ally Moscow.

Four other Syrian soldiers were also wounded in the attack.

The Arab League readmitted Syria on Sunday after more than a decade of suspension, consolidating a regional push to normalise ties with President Bashar al-Assad in a move criticised by Washington.

The Pentagon has said Iran-affiliated groups were targeted, while local sources claim civilian infrastructure was hit

The strikes came even as the United States aimed to respond to a draft agreement proposed by the European Union that would bring back the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran

Old tweets from US Vice President Kamala Harris have resurfaced after air strikes against Syria were launched by US forces.

Dozens of Turkish troops died in a Syrian airstrike as no one knew they were there, Putin told Erdogan, stressing the crisis in the Syrian province is so dire that a personal conversation between the two leaders is needed.

As tensions in Idlib province reach the boiling point, Turkey has asked Russia to let it fight the Syrian government face-to-face, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed.

Alarming developments in Syria’s Idlib saw dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in a Syrian airstrike and Ankara responding with own fire and fury. But anyone following the conflict would know the escalation didn’t start overnight.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Syria on Tuesday and met with officials including President Bashar Assad, Syrian state media and a Kremlin spokesman reported.

The IS terror group has named its new leader after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed by US forces, along with his “number one replacement.”

American mechanized forces have begun deploying at Syrian oil fields, ostensibly to stop the remnants of Islamic State from seizing them, and will respond with “overwhelming force” to protect them.

On Thursday, Trump defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria on Twitter.

"They're not angels," Trump said Wednesday. "Go back and take a look."

Russia has said it will not allow clashes between Turkish and Syrian forces, as Turkey's military offensive in northern Syria continues.

“I’m not prepared to put a timeline on it,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said.

The territorial integrity of Syria must be fully restored and all foreign forces should withdraw, including Russia if Damascus decides it doesn’t need Moscow’s help anymore, according to President Vladimir Putin.

Turkish warplanes have bombed parts of north-eastern Syria at the start of an offensive which could lead to conflict with Kurdish-led allies of the US.