Syria Crisis

Syria: Libya's army chief resigns after clash in Benghazi

Tripoli: Libya's army chief of staff resigned on Sunday as an elite military unit took control of a base of pro-government militias after clashes killed 31 people in the eastern city of Benghazi. The developments underlined the security chaos in Libya more than a year and a half after longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi was deposed in a civil war.

The violence broke out on Saturday when protesters stormed a base belonging to Libya Shield, a grouping of militias aligned with the military that were tasked with helping to maintain security. The protesters were demanding that the militias leave their camp and submit to the full authority of Libya's security forces.

It remains unclear which side fired first. Libyan officials have provided few details of the clashes. Witnesses said some of the protesters brought weapons to

the camp, which was the main Benghazi base for Libya Shield militiamen. The militiamen appeared outnumbered by hundreds of protesters outside the gates....more    

Assad regime used chemical weapons in Syria: France

Amman: France said on Tuesday it had performed tests that proved President Bashar al-Assad's forces had used nerve gas in Syria's civil war, a "red line" that the United States and other countries have repeatedly said would demand a response. Washington separately said it would deploy Patriot missiles and F-16 fighter jets to Syria's neighbour Jordan for a military exercise and perhaps longer. Russia, Assad's main international backer, criticized the...  

US seeks more evidence on use of chemical weapons in Syria

Washington: United States needs to gather more evidence on use of chemical weapons in Syria before President Barack Obama can determine that a 'red line' has been crossed and necessary action needs to be taken, his spokesman said. France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius had on Tuesday said that the deadly nerve agent sarin gas has been used several times during the conflict in Syria, citing tests carried out by a...  

Tests prove Syria used nerve gas in civil war, says France

Amman: France said on Tuesday it had performed tests that proved President Bashar al-Assad's forces had used nerve gas in Syria's civil war, a "red line" that the United States and other countries have repeatedly said would demand a response. Washington separately said it would deploy Patriot missiles and F-16 fighter jets to Syria's neighbour Jordan for a military exercise and perhaps longer. Russia, Assad's main international backer, criticized the...  

No future for Bashar al-Assad in Syria: US

Washington: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has no role in the future of the war-torn country and he has no other option but to go, the US has said. "We have said that Assad must go and that there is no future for him in Syria. That is not just our opinion, but that is the will of the Syrian people that they've made clear, and that is for a variety...  

Syria fighting rages, more chemical attacks reported

Beirut: Heavy fighting raged around the strategic Syrian border town of Qusair and the capital Damascus on Monday and further reports surfaced of chemical weapons attacks by President Bashar al-Assad's forces on rebel areas. Intensified government offensives are widely seen as a bid to strengthen Assad's position before a peace conference proposed by the United States and Russia for June 2013. In Brussels, British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who was...  

I won't step down, says Syria President Bashar al-Assad

Beirut: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he won't step down before elections are held in his war-ravaged country. The Syrian leader's comments, published on Saturday in the Argentine newspaper Clarin, highlight the difficulties the US and Russia face in getting the Assad regime and Syria's political opposition to the table at an international conference envisioned for next month. The country's main opposition group has demanded that these talks lead to...  

US chides Russia over Syria missiles as peace plans suffer

Beirut: The United States chided Russia for sending missiles to the Syrian government as plans for a peace conference promoted by Washington and Moscow were hit by diplomatic rifts over its scope and purpose. Sectarian bloodshed in neighbouring Iraq during Friday prayers, a hacking attack on a Western newspaper by sympathisers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and defiant comments by a rebel commander filmed eating a slain soldier's flesh were...  

Military options remain open in Syria crisis, says Obama

Washington: President Barack Obama said on Thursday he reserves the right to resort to a range of both diplomatic and military options if he receives conclusive proof that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons in the country's civil war. Obama, at a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, said there was evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria but that it is...  

Syria rebels free four abducted UN peacekeepers

Quinetra Crossing: A UN sergeant stationed on the Golan Heights said all Filipino UN peacekeepers abducted last week have been released and are in good condition. The peacekeeper, who gave his name as Sgt Ratton, told the reporters on Sunday that his comrades were freed at 08:30 local time. He said that all four are in good health. Four UN peacekeepers were seized along the UN-patrolled demarcation line separating the...  

Air strikes did not aim to help Syria rebels, says Israel

Jerusalem: Israel sought to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday that its recent air strikes around Damascus did not aim to weaken him in the face of a more than two-year-old rebellion. Officials say Israel is reluctant to take sides in Syria's civil war for fear its actions would boost Islamists who are even more hostile to Israel than the Assad family, which has maintained a stable stand off...  

Israeli airstrikes on Syria prompt threats, anger

Beirut: Israel rushed to beef up its rocket defenses on its northern border on Sunday to shield against possible retaliation after carrying out two airstrikes in Syria over 48 hours - an unprecedented escalation of Israeli involvement in the Syrian civil war. Syria and its patron Iran hinted at possible retribution, though the rhetoric in official statements appeared relatively muted. Despite new concerns about a regional war, Israeli officials signaled...  

Tension escalates after Israel warplanes strike Syria

Beirut: Israeli warplanes struck areas in and around the Syrian capital on Sunday, setting off a series of explosions as they targeted a shipment of highly accurate, Iranian-made guided missiles believed to be bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, officials and activists said. The attack, the second in three days and the third this year, signaled a sharp escalation of Israel's involvement in Syria's bloody civil war. Syrian state media...  

India, Germany to hold discussions on strengthening ties

Berlin: A series of bilateral ministerial meetings will set the stage for the second inter-governmental consultations at the Cabinet level between India and Germany, which gets under way here on Wednesday. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will receive India's External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid for an exchange of views before the Cabinet ministers from both sides hold their first joint meeting in this country, government sources said. Rising tension on...  

Number of Syrian refugees reaches million mark: UN

The number of Syrians who have fled their country since a deadly civil conflict erupted two years ago has hit one million, the UN's refugee agency said on Wednesday. "With a million people in flight, millions more displaced internally, and thousands of people continuing to cross the border every day, Syria is spiralling towards full-scale disaster," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said in a statement. ...  

US likely to consider direct aid to Syrian rebels

The Obama administration, in coordination with some European allies, is for the first time considering supplying direct assistance to elements of the Free Syrian Army as they seek to ramp up pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down and end nearly two years of brutal and increasingly deadly violence. ...  

Syria death toll likely near 70,000, says United Nations

The death toll in Syria is likely approaching 70,000 - up almost 10,000 from the start of the year, and civilians are paying the price for the UN Security Council's lack of action to end the conflict, the UN human rights chief said on February 12. Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights, repeated her call for the 15-member council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court...  

Iran increasing 'lethal' aid to Syrian regime: Report

Washington: Iran is increasing its "lethal" military and intelligence assistance to the embattled Syrian regime in its crackdown on opposition strongholds like Homs, according to a media report in Washington on Sunday. Iran has increased supply of arms and other aid for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad at a time when his regime is mounting an "unprecedented offensive to crush resistance in the key city of Homs", 'The Washington Post' said...  

'Over 9,000 dead in Syria in 11 months'

Damascus: The bombings in the rebel bastion Homs by the Syrian government forces have entered the 21st day. Opposition groups in Syria claim over 100 people were killed on Thursday, taking to toll to over 9,000 in the last 11 months. The violence continues even after a UN report accused the government of crimes against humanity. CNN-IBN and IBN-7 are the first two Indian news channels to report from the...