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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Syrian warplanes pound rebel positions in north |
| 2013-05-09 |
| Syria on Thursday welcomed efforts by the United States and Russia to end the country's civil war, as warplanes pounded rebel targets in an offensive to reclaim territory from the opposition. The strikes came against the backdrop of a new, joint U.S.-Russia effort to bring the sides in the 26-month conflict to the negotiating table before the end of the month. In the first official Syrian reaction to the initiative, Syria's Foreign Ministry said it welcomes the step that could lead to a "national dialogue." In Israel, security officials said Thursday they have asked Russia to cancel the imminent sale of an advanced air defense system to Syria. The officials said Israel shared information with the United States in hopes of persuading Russia to halt the planned deal to provide S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. Disclosing the deal, the Israeli officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters. Israel aircraft evaded Syrian air defenses twice in the past week to strike weapons that it said were to be headed to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Israel has not officially acknowledged the attacks. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said President Bashar Assad's air force attacked rebel positions in Aleppo and Idlib in the north on Thursday. The group said warplanes hit rebels near the Mannagh military air base outside Aleppo. |
| Posted by:tipper |