Assad government agrees to six-week ceasefire in Aleppo

#aleppo #syria #assad #mortarfire #SOHR It has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 19 February 2015 that the government of Syria has agreed to put on hold airstrikes and artillery shelling on Aleppo for six weeks to see if a ceasefire is workable in the city which is divided into a rebel-controlled west and government-held east.
This has been informed by the United Nations envoy to Syria by Staffan de Mistura who was briefing the Security Council in a closed session on his latest efforts to find a solution to the civil war that has torn Syria apart over the past four years.
In his opinion, the fresh development should be viewed as a 'glimmer of hope' and emphasized the need for a political solution to the conflict. He would also have to convince the opposition and obtain their support for the plan – this would mean they would have to suspend rocket and mortar fire in the same period.
Incidentally, in spite of the agreement to a ceasefire by the regime of Assad, battles have been raging in and around Aleppo and have resulted in the death of killed at least 70 pro-government fighters apart from another 80 insurgents in the last 24 hours.
This was the outcome of a fresh offensive launched in Aleppo by the army. The army, backed by local allied militia, had captured areas north of Aleppo. As per the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, this was basically an attempt to encircle the city and throttle the supply lines.
The conflict in Syrian began in 2011 with protests against President Bashar al-Assad and has gradually taken the shape of a civil war, drawing in foreign fighters on both sides. According to UN estimates, the total number of casualties is nearly 220,000 while millions have fled to neighboring countries to seek refuge.

Another interesting blog - Citizen Journalist

Another interesting blog - Ramblings

All is not well in Nigeria – release of kidnapped school girls of Chibok hangs in the balance

Following the announcement of a ceasefire by President Goodluck Jonathan, speculation was rife that the 200 teenage schoolgirls kidnapped from their school in Chibok and held captive by Boko Haram would be released soon. But – recent developments have put a bug question mark on the fate of the girls.

However, in spite of the ceasefire, security sources and witnesses have revealed that the suspected insurgents had attacked the village of Abadam on Friday night, killing at least one person and ransacking homes. The next day, there was another attack on the village of Dzur in which at least eight people died.
It is the practice of Boko Haram to pass on its messages in videos by its supposed leader, Abubakar Shekau – he has not yet commented on the ceasefire. Hence, in view of continued attacks, the efficacy of the ceasefire appears to be in doubt.

Boko Haram is an outfit that has killed thousands of people in its attempt to establish an Islamic state in religiously mixed Nigeria where just over half of the country’s 167 million people are Muslim, and most of the remaining are Christians.

Donetsk airport attacked by pro-Russian forces – Ukraine repels attack

In spite of a ceasefire being in place, the Donetsk airport was attacked by pro-Russian forces as it came under artillery fire theguardian.com - this was one of the biggest battles since a fragile ceasefire was declared.
Continuous rocket fire reverberated throughout city of Donetsk which is controlled by pro-Russia forces and city officials have reported about shells having struck residential buildings near the airport, although no casualties were reported.
Moreover, a column of three Russian multiple rocket launchers was seen moving freely through Donetsk.
Incidentally, there has been casualties on both sides since the start of the ceasefire, agreed on 5 September – as per the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, it had inflicted casualties of 12 rebel fighters on the rebel side outside the city of Mariupol, near the Sea of Azov while six Ukrainian servicemen had also died since the start of the truce.
Some more similar reports ...
Peace holds in Ukraine – both sides exchange prisoners
Russia threatens to stop flights over its airspace if stupid sanctions are imposed
UN report reveals that over 3000 killed in Ukraine violence
Russia’s double game – artillery attack on Mariupol even as ceasefire is on
NATO pushing Russia to the brink with new sanctions
Ukraine and Iraq high on agenda of NATO talks
EU pushing Russia into a corner on Ukraine issue with threats of more sanctions
Pro-Russian activists force Ukraine troops to abandon Luhansk airport
Setback for Ukraine as pro-Russia separatists take over coastal town of Novoazovsk
Poroshenko cancels visit to Turkey because of Russian troop deployments in Ukraine
10 Russian soldiers caught in Donetsk - Russia says: they must have crossed the border by mistake
Russia hoodwinks Ukraine – sends military equipment in guise of humanitarian aid

UN report reveals that over 3000 killed in Ukraine violence

Ivan Simonovic, the UN assistant secretary general for human rights, has revealed that the number of people confirmed killed in fighting since the conflict began in Ukraine in April was now 2,729 – however, the figure would cross 3000 if the 298 passengers and crew on the Malaysia Airlines flight were included theguardian.com.
However, the actual figures could be much higher.
The figures are based on data from available resources – this was disclosed at an extraordinary meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The OSCE has about 250 monitors in Ukraine.
The reason for inclusion of the MH17 crash was because it was apparently struck by a missile while the aircraft was flying over eastern Ukraine on 17 July. Washington and Kiev accused Russia-backed rebels of shooting down the jetliner with an advanced Russian missile system in the mistaken belief it was a Ukrainian military plane but that was denied by Russia as well as the rebels.
A ceasefire is active right now in Ukraine but the Ukrainian military's press center has listed five rebel violations of the ceasefire accord overnight,, the rebels have retaliated by accusing the government forces of preparing to storm a town near rebel-held Donetsk which is the region's industrial hub.
Both the sides insist they are strictly observing the ceasefire and continue to blame their opponents for any violations.
Some more similar reports ...
Russia’s double game – artillery attack on Mariupol even as ceasefire is on
NATO pushing Russia to the brink with new sanctions
Ukraine and Iraq high on agenda of NATO talks
EU pushing Russia into a corner on Ukraine issue with threats of more sanctions
Pro-Russian activists force Ukraine troops to abandon Luhansk airport
Setback for Ukraine as pro-Russia separatists take over coastal town of Novoazovsk
Poroshenko cancels visit to Turkey because of Russian troop deployments in Ukraine
10 Russian soldiers caught in Donetsk - Russia says: they must have crossed the border by mistake
Russia hoodwinks Ukraine – sends military equipment in guise of humanitarian aid

18 suspected informants killed by Hamas

In an act of retaliation, Hamas executed 18 suspected informants for Israel in Gaza following an Israeli strike in the Gaza city of Rafah edition.cnn.com in which three senior leaders of the Qassam Brigades, the Hamas military wing, were killed. The Qassam Brigades had threatened to target Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The situation continues to be tense as Palestinian militants fired more rockets into Israel, and the Israeli Defense Forces kept up airstrikes on Gaza. Ashraf el-Qedra, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, has indicated that 2,092 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began in early July and the figure does not take into account the reported executions. El-Qedra has revealed that 76 Palestinians have been killed since the two sides resumed hostilities after the collapse of a ceasefire and talks aimed at finding a lasting end to the fighting. The truce did not succeed because Israel reported that militants had started firing rockets again. Ever since the fighting flared up again, a total of 360 rockets have been fired from Gaza toward Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces. These strikes have caused in injuries but no deaths. Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system was able to intercept 56 of the rockets as informed by the IDF. In this period, the Israeli military has attacked around 200 targets in Gaza. As per estimates of the United Nations, nearly 70% of the dead in the conflict were civilians. On the Israeli side, the number of casualties is 67 - almost all of them are soldiers.