Russian Air Strikes Helping Syrian Army Make Gains In Latakia
Russian Defense Ministry official Igor Konashenkov indicated today how Russian air strikes are helping Syrian government forces capture territory from rebels in Latakia province and push battles into the heart of rebel-controlled areas.
Konashenkov said that a Russian Su-24 jet targeted militant positions in Al-Qabaqliyah in the Latakia mountains, killing 20 rebel fighters and taking out four SUVs equipped with machine guns.
Al-Qabaqliyah is a village near Mount Kazbar in the Jabal al-Turkmen area of Latakia (here is a link to a map showing the location of the village.) It is one of a cluster of villages that Syrian government forces have taken in the past several days, as pro-government Twitter user Hassan Ridha reported here on January 17:
The biggest gain in Latakia for Bashar al-Assad's forces has been the January 12 capture of the rebel stronghold of Salma.
Russia Carries Out 157 Sorties In Syria In Past 4 Days: TASS
Russian warplanes have carried out 157 sorties in Syria against 579 "terrorist infrastructure targets" in the past four days, Defense Ministry official Igor Konashenkov has said, according to the TASS news agency.
The strikes hit in Aleppo, Deir al-Zor, Homs, Hama, Raqqa and Latakia provinces, Konashenkov said.
U.S.-Led Coalition Carries Out 24 Strikes Against IS In Iraq, Syria
The U.S.-led coalition carried out 24 strikes against IS militants in Iraq and Syria on January 18, the Combined Joint Task Force has said.
Some 21 strikes hit IS positions in Iraq while three strikes in Syria targeted IS positions near Ayn Isa and Al Hasaka.
Swiss Attorney General "Irritated" Over Jihadi Videos On YouTube
Switzerland's attorney general's office has said it is "irritated" over YouTube's unwillingness to take down two videos about Swiss militants in Syria.
The videos were produced by a member of Switzerland's Islamic Central Council, according to the Swissinfo,ch news website. The Swiss attorney general asked Google, which owns YouTube, to take the videos down in 2015.
Japan FM: Russia Key To Resolving Syria Conflict
Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has said that Moscow is key to resolving international conflicts like Syria and has pledged to continue talks with Russia even though the two countries lack a World War II peace treaty.
Kishida also announced $350 million in new aid to help stabilize Syria and Iraq.
Britain Launches Anti-Radicalization Website Aimed At Parents
Britain is launching an "educate against hate" website as part of a drive against extremism.
The new measures are to be announced at the Bethnal Green Academy in London, the school attended by three girls who ran away to IS-controlled Syria last February and until recently were known to be in Raqqa.
Kyrgyz Cop Turns Filmmaker In Fight With IS
A Kyrgyz police officer has produced a video, which he is showing to teenagers in schools, as part of efforts to fight recruitment by Islamic State militants. Colonel Zhanibek Isayev mined the internet for shocking images from Syria, which sometimes move the children to tears. (RFE/RL's Current Time Asia).
Indonesia's President Calls For Revised Anti-Terror Laws After Jakarta Attacks
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has called for the country's anti-terrorism laws to be amended to make it easier for police to arrest people suspected of planning attacks.
The proposals come in the wake of last week's attacks in the capital Jakarta.
Critics say the proposed new laws could be used as a means of repression.
Syrian state media is reporting this morning that "terrorists" have prevented a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent from entering the besieged Shi'ite towns of Kefraya and Foua.
Aid was delivered to the two government-held towns, which are under siege from rebel forces, yesterday but aid teams were not allowed to enter to carry out an assessment, according to a statement by the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
The statement said that the mission to Foua and Kefraya was postponed "upon receipt of reports from armed groups that more time was needed to finalize security arrangements in areas under their control."
IS has confiscated buses in its Syrian stronghold of Raqqa and is preventing people from traveling from Raqqa, the activist group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently says.