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A woman rests near rubble in the Syrian town of Darat Izza in Aleppo Province on February 28.
A woman rests near rubble in the Syrian town of Darat Izza in Aleppo Province on February 28.

Live Blog: Tracking Islamic State

Follow all of the latest developments as they happen.

Latest News For February 29

-- The United States Army's elite Delta Force is on the verge of beginning operations to target, capture or kill top IS operatives in Iraq, after several weeks of covert preparation, an administration official with direct knowledge of the force's activities told CNN.

-- Syrian government forces have regained control of a road used by the army to access Aleppo, after making advances against Islamic State fighters, a monitoring group and state television reported.


-- Authorities in Iraq say the death toll from a double bombing at a market in Baghdad’s Shi’ite neighborhood of Sadr City rose to 73 on February 29 after several critically wounded victims died overnight.

-- Tajik media are reporting that a woman known to be the second wife of Gulmurod Halimov, the fugitive Tajik colonel who defected to the IS group, has left for Syria along with the couple's four young children.

-- The UN is poised to begin delivering aid to people living in besieged areas of Syria, making use of a truce brokered by the United States and Russia. The first deliveries are planned for Feb. 29, with aid due to reach about 150,000 Syrians in besieged areas over the next five days.

-- A truce negotiated between Syrian rebels and the government has caused a dramatic decrease in airstrikes around rebel-held territory, but there were few celebrations, with many residents suspecting a trick, CNN report.

* NOTE: Live blog posts are time-stamped according to Central European Time (CET).

15:33 4.2.2016

On anniversary of her death in IS captivity, Kayla Mueller's family share photo

American aid worker Kayla Mueller was reported killed in Islamic State captivity a year ago.

Her family have shared a photograph of the last time Mueller was home.

IS said that Mueller died in a coalition air strike in Syria.

But two Yazidi girls who had been held as slaves by IS said that Mueller was murdered by IS after being raped repeatedly by its leader. Mueller told the Yazidi girls that she had been tortured after she was abducted.

A memorial playground in Mueller's hometown of Prescott, Arizona is being built this spring in tribute to the aid worker.

15:12 4.2.2016

15:05 4.2.2016

The Russian Defense Ministry has posted photos on its English-language Facebook account that it says shows changes to the transport infrastructure on the Turkey-Syria border near Reyhanli that the ministry says could be evidence of a planned invasion by Turkey.

However, during war-time, in such a way the transport infrastructure is preparing on the eve of military intervention. And such platforms are used for supporting the rapid movement of military convoys carrying ammunition and weapons in the war zone, as well as for operational personnel deployment and evacuation.

15:02 4.2.2016

The Russian Defense Ministry is tweeting its accusations that Syrian rebels -- including Islamists -- are being supplied with weapons and fighters via Turkey.

15:00 4.2.2016

Russian bombs triggering mass exodus from Aleppo: Turkish PM

Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that Russian air strikes in Syria have triggered a mass exodus of people from Aleppo toward the Turkish border.

Davutoglu made its comments at a Syria donors' conference in London.

Tensions between Russia and Turkey have soared since Turkey downed a Russian bomber near the Syrian border in November. Turkey has accused Russia of bombing Turkoman rebels in Latakia province, while Russia has claimed that Turkey is supplying weapons and fighters to Syrian rebel groups across its border.

14:57 4.2.2016

Changes to transport infrastructure on Turkey-Syria border could be evidence of planned invasion: Russian Defense Ministry

RIA Novosti is reporting that the Russian Defense Ministry -- which is giving a press briefing this afternoon -- has said that changes to the transport infrastructure on the Turkey-Syria border could be evidence of preparations for a military invasion of Syria by Turkey.

14:54 4.2.2016

Turkey supplying weapons, fighters to militants in NW Syria: Russian Defense Min

The war of words between Russia and Turkey over Syria is hotting up: Russia has accused Turkey of supplying weapons and fighters to militants in north western Syria.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told reporters at a press briefing today that Turkey was behaving "provocatively" at its border with Syria.

"I want to bring another fact about the provocative actions of Turkey on the Syrian border. Here is an image of the checkpoint on the Turkey-Syria border near Reyhanli-Sarmada. It is through this checkpoint, mostly at night, that replenishments of fighters and weapons are carried out from Turkish territory to the terrorists who have captured the towns of Aleppo and Idlib in north western Syria," Konashenkov said.

Konashenkov said that Russia's "American and NATO partners" call the transport convoys containing weapons "humanitarian aid" and that Turkey has jailed journalists who have tried to find out what is contained in the trucks.

14:45 4.2.2016

13:57 4.2.2016

Kerry demands Russia stop Syria bombing

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has demanded that Russia stop bombing the Syrian opposition, AFP reports.

Kerry also said that both parties to the conflict -- the Syrian government and the rebels -- must allow humanitarian aid access to besieged areas.

Alongside Britain's Foreign Minister Phillip Hammond, Kerry read out sections of UN Security Council resolution 2254, passed in December, calling for an immediate ceasefire.

"Russia has a responsibility, as do all parties, to live up to it," he said.

"So I had a conversation this morning with Foreign Minister Lavrov. We discussed, and we agreed, that we need to discuss how to implement the ceasefire."

13:54 4.2.2016

Russia says none of its aircraft violated Turkish air space

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that no Russian aircraft has violated Turkish air space.

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