Syrian rebels lose ground to Kurds, government
Syrian rebels have abandoned three villages in the northern province of Aleppo, allowing Kurdish YPG militia fighters to overrun them, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, has said, AFP reports.
The rebels withdrew from Aqlamiyah, Deir Jamal and Mareanar on Feb. 7 after residents insisted they do so, fearing their houses would be destroyed in Russian air strikes.
Aqlamiyah and Mareanar are near the Mennagh military air base, captured by rebels -- including the then-Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham -- in August 2013.
Government forces are advancing toward Tal Rifaat in northern Aleppo, a rebel-held town 20 kilometers south of the Turkish border. Their aim is to then capture the border town of Azaz to stop fighters and weapons crossing from Turkey.
Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees remain stranded near Turkish border
Tens of thousands of displaced Syrians fleeing a Russian-backed government advance on the city of Aleppo are still stranded near the Turkish border, which remains closed despite international pressure for Ankara to allow more refugees in.
The BBC reports this morning that Turkish aid workers have been setting up tents and distributing supplies for the thousands of new refugees amassing at the border.
Around 35,000 Syrians fled the government offensive around Aleppo last week and have made their way to the border.
Turkish aid trucks and ambulances entered Syria from Turkey yesterday as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that air strikes thought to be Russian hit towns north of Aleppo, including Bashkoy, Haritan and Anadan.
Russia arrests 7 'IS militants' suspected of planning attacks in Moscow
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested seven suspects it says are members of the IS group who were planning attacks on targets in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Urals region, RIA Novosti is reporting.
The suspects were arrested in Ekaterinburg on Feb. 7.
The FSB said that the group was led by a militant who came to Russia from Turkey.
Two Londoners identified as member of IS 'execution cell' led by Jihadi John
Two men from London have been identified as members of the gang that carried out the detention and beheadings of western hostages in Syria including U.S. journalist James Foley, the British press is reporting this morning.
The gang was led by Mohammed Emwazi, nicknamed "Jihadi John," who was killed in a drone strike last year.
The Guardian names the men as Alexanda Kotey, 32, and Aine Leslie Davis, 31.
Kotey is a convert to Islam and a father of two who grew up in West London and who has been described as being of Ghanaian and Greek-Cypriot background.
His relatives say that he has not been seen for "a number of years."
Sky News reports that it is believed Kotey attended the same London mosque as Emwazi.
The second man, Davis, is another associate of Emwazi who also attended the same mosque, according to Sky News.
Davis is a former drug dealer who went to Syria in 2013, according to the Guardian. He was detained in Turkey last November on suspicion of planning attacks in Istanbul like the Nov. 13 Paris attacks that killed 130 people.
The Guardian reports:
A spokesman for the Home Office in London would “neither confirm nor deny” that Kotey and Davis were members of Emwazi’s group.
The Washington Post and Buzzfeed identified Kotey earlier on Sunday, citing a US intelligence official. ITV News also named Kotey, as well as confirming that Davis had been part of the terror cell. The Guardian has independently verified the names.
That concludes our live-blogging of the crisis surrounding Islamic State for the week, barring any major news developments. Check back here on Monday morning for more of our continuing coverage.
At least 15,000 Syrian refugees now amassed at Turkish border: officials
The BBC is reporting that at least 15,000 Syrian refugees fleeing the intense fighting in northern Aleppo province have now amassed at the Bab al-Salam border crossing with Turkey, according to UN and Turkish officials.
The UN is saying that 20,000 refugees have gathered at Bab al-Salam, while Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutlgu said 15,000 are there.
Another 5,000-10,000 displaced people have gathered in Azaz near the Turkish border, the UN have told AFP.
U.S. preparing for possible humanitarian air drops over Syria
The United States is preparing for possible air drops of humanitarian aid over besieged areas of Syria, where hundreds of thousands of people are cut off from food and medical supplies.
The Washington Post reports:
Administration officials emphasized that airdropped relief is only in the planning stages and has not yet been approved. But U.S. forces, who have conducted similar operations in northern Iraq and Syria, could move within days to implement a decision.
50,000 Syrians fleeing Aleppo fighting amass at Turkey border crossing
The Turkish Islamic charity IHH says that about 50,000 Syrians fleeing intense fighting in northern Syria have amassed at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing on the border with Turkey.
Serkan Nergis of IHH says that displaced Syrians began heading for the border crossing yesterday and that IHH is setting up tent camps to provide temporary shelter on the Syrian side. The border remains closed today.
Syrian opposition should welcome Aleppo offensive as it targets Al Qaeda: Russia
Alexey Borodavkin, Moscow's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, has said that the Syrian opposition should welcome an offensive by the Syrian government in Aleppo province because it targets Islamist militants including from Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, the Al-Nusra Front, Reuters reports.
"Why did the opposition that left Geneva complain about the offensive in Aleppo, which is actually targeted against Jabhat al-Nusra and other radical extremist groups?" said Borodavkin.
"The opposition should be happy that terrorists are defeated. But, on the contrary, they were disappointed and left negotiations," Borodavkin added.
Borodavkin said yesterday that it was "obvious" that the "moderate" Syrian opposition were linked to "terrorists" from the Al-Nusra Front, RIA Novosti reported.
"Regarding the Aleppo offensive, then the question arises -- why are the so-called moderate opposition so worried that terrorists from the Al-Nusra Front are suffering a defeat. Nusra are terrorists, recognized as such by the UN Security Council. The answer, unfortunately, is obvious. This opposition is linked to Nusra, which is an affiliate of Al-Qaeda," Borodavkin said.
Syrian opposition official: we probably won't return to talks because of Moscow, Damascus
Mohammed Alloush, the chief negotiator of the main Saudi-backed Syrian opposition group, has told AP that his delegation is unlikely to return to Geneva for indirect peace talks because of Syria and Russia's "arrogant" bombing campaign.
Alloush, who represents the Islam Army, said that the Syrian government and Russia were to blame for the failure of the talks.