, which are classified top secret / special access program — unlike Defense Department drone strikes , which are unclassified . The difference is that CIA drones hit targets in countries , like Pakistan and Yemen , where we are not officially at war ; they are part of covert operations . ( Defense Department drone strikes are in places where we are officially at war . )
Amman : Russian air strikesconflict.attack.bombingon Syria have killed nearly 1,400 civilians since Moscow started its aerial campaign nearly four months ago , a group monitoring the war said on Saturday . The Britain - based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , which collects information from a network of sources on the ground , said the Russian strikes had also killed 965 Islamic State fighters as well as 1,233 fighters from various other insurgent groups . The main Syrian opposition group heading to Geneva peace talks on Saturday has demanded a halt to a joint Russian and Syrian bombing campaign they say targets mostly civilians in rebel held areas as a pre - condition for engaging in talks with the Syrian government .
In this tweet , he complains about peeling potatoes In a second tweet , he admitted he was ' lonely ' but was cheered up with a Ferrero Rocher chocolate The militants recently lost the key city of Ramadi , while air strikeslife.injure.injurycausedbyviolentevents, previously carried out almost entirely by the U.S. , are now being conducted with renewed aggression by France , Russia and the UK . Hussain made headlines in March last year after posting a series of tweets revealing he was living as a hopeless loner . According to his social media page , Omar Hussain , had difficulty completing the most basic daily jobs including peeling potatoes for his dinner and washing his clothes .
In the afternoon , Amaq , a news agency affiliated with the Islamic State , issued a bulletin claiming responsibility for the attacks , calling them the work of suicide bombers . Frédéric Van Leeuw , the Belgian federal prosecutor , said at a news conference on Tuesday night that “ at this stage , it is not possible to draw a formal link with the Paris attacks . ” A cell of 10 operatives , a number of them from the Brussels district of Molenbeek , were implicated in the Paris attacks on Nov. 13 , which left 130 people dead . The Brussels strikeslife.injure.nacame only a few days after the Belgian police captured Salah Abdeslam , the only suspect in the Paris assaults believed to have survived , who is considered a potential trove of information . The State Department on Tuesday warned Americans traveling in Europe to “ exercise vigilance when in public places or using mass transportation . ” Terrorist groups , the department travel alert said , “ continue to plan near - term attacks throughout Europe , targeting sporting events , tourist sites , restaurants and transportation . ” Video
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said efforts were being made to track down alleged violations but that there was currently no evidence to suggest it would destabilize the fragile peace . The cessation deal does not include jihadist groups such as Islamic State and the al Qaeda - linked Nusra Front and Russia , which is backing the Syrian government with air power , has made clear it intends to keep bombing those groups . Kerry said at a news conference in Washington that he agreed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to intensify work on a mechanism to ensure any strikesconflict.attack.bombingin Syria solely target Islamic State or Nusra Front . An aide to Saudi Arabia 's defense minister said on Monday , that defense ministers from the U.S .- led coalition against Islamic State had discussed the possibility of a Syrian ground incursion two weeks ago in Brussels . " It was discussed at the political level but it was n't discussed as a military mission , " Saudi Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri told Reuters .
As for how Washington will respond , U.S. officials told Reuters " they are considering tougher responses to the Russian - backed Syrian government assault , including military options , although they have described the range of possible responses as limited and say risky measures like air strikes on Syrian targets or sending U.S. jets to escort aid are unlikely . " In 2011 , the Syrian civil war began when President Bashar Al - Assad violently used force to crush dissent among hundreds of thousands of pro - democracy protesters who took to the streets to demonstrate against civil rights abuses . Since then , violence escalated , sectarian conflict emerged , and rebel brigades were formed to fight government forces , with the governments of Syria , Russia , and the United States all launching air strikesconflict.attack.naon various rebel forces on the ground , resulting in the death and displacement of thousands of civilians in the process . Eastern Aleppo , which was captured by rebel groups in cooperation with Al - Qaida forces now referring to themselves as Jabhat Fateh Al - Sham , is one of the key flashpoints in the Syrian conflict . Beyond Aleppo 's status as Syria 's largest city and a financial capital , the eastern half of the city also represents the largest victory of the entire conflict for rebel groups .
The monitor -- which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information -- says it determines what planes carried out raids according to their type , location , flight patterns and the munitions involved . Asked about the Al - Tukhar strike , the US - led coalition said it had " conducted air strikes near Manbij ... recently " and that it was looking into the reports alleging civilian casualties . " As with any allegation we receive , we will review any information we have about the incident ... such as the proximity of the location " to coalition air strikesconflict.attack.bombing, it wrote in an email to AFP . " We take all measures during the targeting process to avoid or minimise civilian casualties or collateral damage and to comply with the principles of the Law of Armed Conflict . " Al - Tukhar lies 14 kilometres ( nine miles ) north of the town of Manbij , a key IS stronghold that has been repeatedly targeted in raids by the US - led coalition .
( Adriana Usero / The Washington Post ) I was the duty officer on the October 1962 evening when the cable arrived at my upstate New York military post raising our alert status . Elsewhere , B-52s went on airborne alert for strikeslife.injure.injurycausedbyviolenteventswithin the Soviet Union , and plans were developed for a strike on Cuba . It was a crisis brought on by the discovery of Russian attempts to place nuclear missiles in Cuba . Thirteen days on the brink of nuclear war .
Russian planes have hammered rebels and rebel - held areas since September in a clear effort to shore - up President Bashar Assad 's beleaguered military , which had been losing ground to the opposition prior to Moscow 's intervention . Russia insists it chooses its targets carefully to avoid civilian casualties , but rescuers on the ground , human rights groups , and Western governments have all chastized Moscow for bombarding crowded public places in opposition territory since its campaign in Syria began . The U.S. says Russia 's strikesconflict.attack.bombinguse far less precise weaponry than the missiles launched by the American - led coalition fighting against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( ISIS ) . Both sides , however , have been accused of killing civilians .
Such remarks are unacceptable and Moscow is disappointed to hear " new typically U.S. claims for being a global judge " , Ryabkov said in comments to Interfax news agency published on Saturday . Referring to a resolution on Syria proposed by France for debate at the United Security Council later on Saturday , he said : " Unfortunately , we see less and less common sense in the actions of Washington and Paris " . The draft resolution demands an end to air strikesconflict.attack.bombingand military flights over Aleppo . Moscow has already said this draft is unacceptable . ( Reporting by Dmitry Solovyov ; editing by John Stonestreet )
It was hit by phosphorous bombs … , " said Ibrahim Abu Leith , the Aleppo - based spokesman for the rescue group also known as the White Helmets . Al Jazeera could not independently verify if there were any casualties . The Sakhour hospital was put out of service earlier this year after it was targeted several different times by air strikeslife.injure.injurycausedbyviolentevents, but members of the Civil Defence have recently by working to repair it . Since the Syrian army 's assault against rebel - held Aleppo began in late September , Russian and government bombardment has killed more than 370 people , including 68 children , according to an Observatory toll . Over the past three days , as many as 100 people have been killed in the raids , rescue workers said , as the air strikes and shelling of the city 's east intensified .
Related : Russia Denies ' War Crimes ' After Hospitals and Schools Were Bombed in Syria The spokesperson said that due to " operational security , " they could not confirm details about ground operations involving the Syrian Democratic Forces , a predominantly Kurdish alliance that also counts Arab forces in its ranks . But Abdulrahman said the coalition strikesconflict.attack.bombingclearly coincided with fighting this week between Kurdish troops and Islamic State in Hasakah governorate . The Russian military has been criticized for killing civilians in large numbers in Syria , a claim it denies . At least 200 civilians were killed in just six attacks in Homs , Idlib , and Aleppo governorates between September and November , according to Amnesty International , while one Syrian rights group says more than 1,000 civilians have been killed by Russian warplanes since the start of its campaign .
The United States has called on Assad to step down but has refrained from directly targeting his forces . Communication between the United States and Russian militaries on Syria has been limited to contacts aimed at avoiding an accidental clash as they carry out separate bombing campaigns and small numbers of U.S. forces operate on the ground . Although no U.S. forces were in the area at the time of Thursday 's strikesconflict.attack.bombing, the U.S. military activated the emergency communications channels with Moscow to tell Russia to stop striking the area , the official said . Some time passed after that communication but Russia carried out a subsequent strike , the U.S. official said . Carter suggested either Moscow struck the fighters intentionally or faced significant intelligence gaps .
( CNN ) Regime airstrikes on a school complex in northwestern Syria killed at least 35 people , including 20 children , the Syria Civil Defense volunteer rescue group said , in what could be one of the deadliest strikes yet on a school in the nation 's five - year war , according to the UN . The death toll is expected to rise as dozens of others were injured in the Wednesday attacks , said Majd Khalaf , a communications officer with the rescue group , also known as the White Helmets . Another rescuer told the activist - run SMART News Agency that around 50 children were leaving the front door when the strikesconflict.attack.bombinghit . An abandoned classroom after it was hit with airstrikes on Wednesday in the Syrian village of Hass . The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights blamed the strikes on the Syrian regime and Russia , but it is generally difficult to distinguish between Syrian and Russian jets .
The amendment would also give only Congress authority to change the Selective Service Act and require the Pentagon prepare a report for Congress July 1 , 2017 , about whether the selective service is still needed and if registration should be required regardless of gender . The amendment is backed by GOP Sens . Ted Cruz Ted CruzAccess to palliative care needs to stay in new health bill Dems step up attacks on GOP ObamaCare bill Overnight Finance : Ryan seeks manufacturing muscle for tax reform | Warren targets Wells Fargo board | Senators raise concerns over Russian takeover of Citgo | Pelosi hits GOP for budget delays MORE ( Texas ) , James Inhofe James InhofeMcCain strikesconflict.attack.naback as Trump ’s chief critic Turbulence for Trump on air traffic control Parliamentarian threatens deadly blow to GOP healthcare bill MORE ( Okla. ) , Mike Rounds ( S.D. ) , Ben Sasse ( Neb. ) and Roger Wicker Roger WickerTurbulence for Trump on air traffic control Trump 's ' infrastructure week ' goes off the rails Senators pan Trump 's air traffic control plan MORE ( Miss.
“ If you [ Al - Nusra ] did decide to leave , in dignity with your weapons , to Idlib or anywhere you wanted to go , I personally am ready , physically ready , to accompany you , ” he said . De Mistura , warned that East Aleppo might be destroyed within two months if the military action in the city continues . Russia and the Syrian government have come under intense criticism from the US in recent days over the strikesconflict.attack.bombingin Aleppo . On Friday , US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the Russian and Syrian governments ' actions in Syria " beg for an appropriate investigation of war crimes . " He alleged that Moscow and Damascus have been “ hitting hospitals , medical facilities , ” in the war - ravaged country .
Nusra has called for redoubled attacks . Moscow and Damascus say they will continue to fight them , and other rebels say they fear this stance may be used to justify attacks against them too . The truce is the culmination of new diplomatic efforts that reflect a battlefield dramatically changed since Russia joined the war in September with air strikesconflict.attack.bombingto prop up Assad . Moscow 's intervention effectively destroyed the hope his enemies have maintained for five years -- encouraged by Arab and Western states -- to topple him by force . REPORTS OF VIOLENCE
Rescue workers and rights groups say Russia 's bombing in Syria has killed scores of civilians at busy market places and in residential areas . Russia denies this . The Kremlin launched its air strikesconflict.attack.bombingsaying it wanted to help Assad , its main Middle East ally , defeat Islamic State and other militant groups . " We are not convinced of what the Russian intentions are , " the official said on condition of anonymity . " For a while , very few strikes were going against ISIL and after a lot of public condemnation they turned a number of strikes against ISIL , " the official said , referring to Islamic State , the militant group that controls territory in Syria and Iraq .
However , neither the Syrian government nor the rebels were involved in the deal and both have since vowed to continue fighting . Syrian President Bashar al - Assad said on Friday that he intended to retake " the whole country " from rebels - a statement the US government said was " deluded " . Syrian government forces , backed by Russian air strikesconflict.attack.na, have almost encircled rebels in parts of the northern city of Aleppo . Also on Sunday , Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev repeated a warning that any foreign ground operation in Syria would lead to " a full - fledged , long war " . Turkey has said its troops and forces from Saudi Arabia might participate in a ground operation against IS .