German national killed fighting IS alongside Kurdish YPG miltia
A German man, Gunter Helsten, has been killed fighting the IS group in Syria alongside the Kurdish YPG militia, the YPG have said.
Helsten, who was born in 1960, was killed in clashes near the town of Al-Shadadi on Feb. 23 and is the seventh foreign fighter to be killed fighting alongside the YPG in Syria.
The YPG released a video in tribute to Helsten, which shows footage of him in Syria.
Main aim of Syria ceasefire is to prevent bloodshed: Kremlin spokesman
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has made several comments about the Syrian crisis in his daily press briefing this morning.
These are summarized below, based on reporting by RIA Novosti. All quotes are Peskov's statements:
-- "Obviously, let's put it this way, cooperation on one level or another, this way or another, obviously, leads to an increase in the level of mutual trust. Also, and let me say this again, in this case the main aim [of the ceasefire] is to stop the bloodshed in Syria and establish the grounds for a political solution, this is the main aim."
-- "Those countries who are participating in the settlement in Syria are using their influence on all parties to the conflict and are now making very intensive contacts."
-- "Once again, in his speech, President Putin said that Russia has in mind to work closely with Damascus, with the legitimate authorities in Syria, but he hopes that our American partners will carry out their part and use their influence with regard to the groups that they support."
-- "Despite all the differences, all the same, the emergence of political and other will allows Moscow and Washington to achieve very important results, just as with the chemical weapons."
In phone call, Putin, Assad stressed importance of fight against IS, Nusra
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by telephone this morning about the upcoming ceasefire in Syria, Russian news agencies are reporting, citing the Kremlin website.
Putin and Assad "underscored the importance of continuing the uncompromising fight against the IS group and the Al-Nusra Front, and "other terrorist groups including on the UN Security Council list," RIA Novosti reports.
Rescued Swedish girl says life under Islamic State 'really hard'
A Swedish teenager rescued from IS militants in Iraq has said life in IS-controlled territory was "really hard" and that she was duped into going there by her boyfriend.
According to Reuters, the 16-year old told a Kurdish TV channel she had met her boyfriend in mid-2014 after dropping out of school in Sweden.
"First we were good but then he started to look at ISIS videos and speak about them and stuff like that," she told Kurdistan 24 in a brief interview, using another name for the Islamic State group.
"Then he said he wanted to go to ISIS and I said ok, no problem, because I didn't know what ISIS means, what Islam is -- nothing," said the girl.
The couple crossed into Syria from Turkey and IS militants then took them with other men and women to the Iraqi city of Mosul.
Although IS provided the woman and her boyfriend with a house, there was no electricity or running water and she did not have any money. She managed to contact her mother as soon as she had access to a phone.
Has Syria's President Assad won the war, the BBC asks
Ahead of a planned ceasefire to take hold Feb. 27, the BBC asks three experts this morning whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has won the almost five-year long war in Syria.
The full article is here, but here is a short excerpt from commentary by Syrian-born analyst Hassan Hassan:
"Bashar al-Assad can get things done. And that's what drives people to stick with him - people who are part of his loyalist base or in Tehran or Moscow. They think that no-one else can replace him. Not because he's some sort of genius, but because psychologically, he represents the old order.
"He has won in a sense that his strategic goal of staying in power has been achieved to a large degree, unless things change. The war is not over."
We are now closing the live blog for today. We'll be back Tracking Islamic State tomorrow morning.
Here are two late items from our news desk:
U.S. Envoy Says Number Of Islamic State Foreign Fighters Dropping
The U.S. special envoy to the coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) militants says the group's ranks of foreign fighters have dropped to about 25,000 from a peak of 35,000.
Brett McGurk said on February 23 that the extremist group was under pressure and had cut fighters' salaries by about half.
The comments come as an accord between the United States and Russia to scale back violence in Syria is supposed to start on February 27. The truce does not include the IS group and other terrorist organizations.
McGurk also said the IS group was trying to attract as many foreign fighters to Libya as possible, adding that IS activity in the North African country was particularly concerning to the United States.
Libya has been torn by conflict since the 2011 uprising against dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
Armed factions supporting rival governments in Tripoli and Benghazi have battled for power while also fighting against Islamist fighters, including many loyal to the IS group.
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
Kerry: U.S. Considering 'Plan B' In Syria If No Peace
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that Washington is considering a "Plan B" to deal with Syria if Damascus and Moscow are not serious about negotiating a political transition.
Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on February 23, Kerry said it would be clear very soon whether Russia was serious about ending the five-year conflict.
"The proof will be in the actions that come in the next days," he said.
The comments come as an accord between the United States and Russia to scale back violence in Syria is supposed to start on February 27.
Meanwhile, fighting continued in Syria, with the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting that Islamic State militants have captured the town of Khanaser, cutting a road used to supply government-controlled areas in the northern city of Aleppo.
Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters
U.S. convening meeting Feb. 24 on countering IS propaganda
The Obama administration is convening a meeting at the White House on Feb. 24 to discuss efforts to counter IS propaganda, AP reports.
According to AP, the meeting scheduled is set to involve government officials as well as representatives from advertising and social media companies and Silicon Valley and aims to brainstorm ways to counter IS social media propaganda.
UNICEF delivering winter clothes, diapers for children in Moadamiyeh
UNICEF has tweeted that it is now delivering winter clothes and diapers to 8,000 children in the besieged Damascus suburb of Moadamiyeh.
UN delivering aid to thousands of Syrians in besieged Damascus suburbs: AP
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said that deliveries are "underway" to help some 20,000 Syrians in Moadamiyeh and another 10,000 in Kfar Batna, The Associated Press reports.
Laerke said by phone this afternoon that the deliveries follow on similar convoys last week to five other besieged towns. He says "these are the first of what we hope will be a series of deliveries to people who have not been reached for a long time."