One killed, seven injured in forest fires in Syria
One person was killed and seven others injured on Friday in forest fires raging across the northern countryside of the northwestern province of Latakia since Thursday, according to Syrian state TV.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a phone conversation, discussing the escalation of tensions in the Syrian region of Idlib, according to the Kremlin on Saturday.
“The Presidents continued their exchange of views on Syria, with a focus on the escalation of tensions in Idlib. Vladimir Putin told the French President about steps taken to fight terrorists in northwestern Syria,” Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin noted that all relevant aspects of the Syrian settlement are to be substantively discussed in Moscow during the Russian-Turkish summit planned in the coming days, the statement further added.
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On Wednesday, Russia and Turkey were planning a series of consultations regarding Syria’s last rebel stronghold of Idlib.
Earlier, the Syrian regime and Iranian-backed groups also launched a ground offensive in Aleppo province, a designated de-escalation zone, forcing at least 13,000 more civilians to move toward Turkey’s border.
The war in Libya, where Turkey was sending troops in support of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord, and the conflict in Syria, where Ankara and Moscow are both militarily involved, are also set to dominate the summit as well.
Turkey launched a cross-border assault on Kurdish fighters after the US decided to withdraw troops from Syria, a move that was criticised by the Republicans, with some terming it a “betrayal” of the Kurds.
The Syrian army entered the city of Tabqa in the northern countryside of Raqqa province, as part of its move to enter Kurdish-held areas to counter the ongoing Turkish assault in the region.
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