Russian troops join combat in Syria
Russian forces have begun participating in military operations in Syria in support of government troops, three Lebanese sources familiar with the political and military situation there said on Wednesday.
Syria
Al-Qaida chief calls ISIS illegitimate but remains open to cooperation against US, Shi’ites
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri dismissed Islamic State and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as illegitimate but said his followers would join them in fighting the Western-led coalition in Iraq and Syria if possible.
U.N. says 850,000 to cross sea to Europe this year and next
At least 850,000 people are expected to cross the Mediterranean seeking refuge in Europe this year and next, the United Nations said on Tuesday, giving estimates that already look conservative.
Islamic State takes Syrian state’s last oilfield: monitor
Islamic State fighters have seized the last major oilfield under Syrian government control during battles over a vast central desert zone, a group monitoring the conflict said on Monday.
Israel to build smart fence on Jordan border
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon are set to announce Sunday the start of a multi-billion-shekel effort to construct a sensor-laden fence on the southern border with Jordan, the news site Ynet reported.
Russia ‘is building military base in Syria’
Russia is building a military base in Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s heartland, according to American intelligence officials, in the clearest indication yet of deepening Russian support for the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Russia stalls on assigning blame for Syria chemical attacks
Russia is holding up Security Council approval to establish a new international body to assign blame for chemical attacks in Syria’s deadly conflict for the first time.
IDF responds after rockets on North with artillery fire at Syria
After rockets were fired from on the northern Israel earlier in day the IDF responded with artillery fire on Syria Thursday, Channel 2 reported.
ISIS calls Erdogan infidel, urges followers to conquer Istanbul
A fighter proclaiming allegiance to Islamic State has appeared in a video urging fellow Turks to rebel against “infidel” President Tayyip Erdogan and help conquer Istanbul, highlighting the threat the NATO member faces as it battles the radical insurgents.
IDF: Iran behind all recent attacks in Golan region
“All of the attacks in the Golan Heights sector since December 2013 have been carried out with Iranian direction,” a senior IDF Northern Command officer told reporters on Sunday.
UN Security Council Backs New Syria Peace Plan
The United Nations Security Council on Monday backed a new push for peace talks in Syria in a measure adopted by Damascus ally Russia and the other 14 member states, AFP reports.
IDF troops prepare for possible incursion into Syria
The IDF has already prepared plans to attack Syria in light of a recent military assessment that Iran has opened a new front against Israel on the Golan Heights.
U.S.-Turkey Deal Aims to Create de facto ‘safe zone’ in northwest Syria
Turkey and the United States have agreed on the outlines of a de facto “safe zone” along the Turkey-Syria border under the terms of a deal that is expected to significantly increase the scope and pace of the U.S.-led air war against the Islamic State in northern Syria, according to U.S. and Turkish officials.
U.S. unprepared for chemical attack as Islamic State nears Syria’s stockpile
The U.S. government is unprepared for a chemical attack against the homeland, a new report shows, even as the Islamic State takes responsibility for more terror attacks around the world and inches closer to gaining access to Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile.
Putin calls on Middle East nations to unite behind Assad in fight against ‘evil’ in Syria
In a surprise meeting with Syria’s foreign minister, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged his support Monday for Syrian President Bashar Assad and called on all Middle East nations to join forces to fight Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants.
U.S. Intel Community Warns of Last Resort Chemical Attack by Syria’s Assad
The intelligence community in the United States is concerned that the Syrian government led by President Bashar Assad may deploy a large-scale chemical weapons attack as a last resort effort to protect regime strongholds from rebels in the embattled country.
Assad Uses Chem Weapons as Syria Battles Spread
Syrian President Bashar Assad’s army has used chemical weapons at least 29 times in the past year, according to testimony delivered Wednesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Israel on High Alert in Golan Heights
As a result of the fighting on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, the level of alert was raised on the Israeli side, an army spokesperson said Thursday, without confirming that it had been increased to the highest level.
Jihadists Seize Syria Crossing Near Israel
Al Qaeda’s Syria wing Nusra Front and other Islamist fighters have taken control of a border crossing on the line dividing Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a group monitoring the Syrian conflict said on Wednesday.
Third Day in a Row Rocket Fire Lands in Northern Israel
A rocket fired from Lebanon crashed into Israel Monday night, in which Israel retaliated by firing artillery in the location of the source of the rocket attack. It marked the third day in a row which rockets landed in Israel, either from Lebanon or Syria.