Syria army ‘storms’ rebel town Qusair

Syrian government forces have surrounded the rebel stronghold of Qusair and are storming it from several directions, says Syrian state TV.

Fighting has gone on around the town, near the Lebanese border, for weeks.

Opposition groups say militants from the Lebanese Hezbollah movement are fighting alongside government forces. (more…)

Iran sanctions hurt Hezbollah and Assad, report

Sanctions imposed against Iran are hurting the Islamic Republic’s ability to support its regional allies Hezbollah and the Syrian government, U.S. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen told Al Arabiya this week. (more…)

In a rare interview Syria’s Assad says he will not step down

BEIRUT, Lebanon — In a rare interview published Saturday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed doubt about the likely success of planned peace talks between his government and opposition forces and said he has no intention of stepping down.

In the interview, given to Argentina’s Clarin newspaper, (more…)

Erdogan, Obama say Assad must quit

United States President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted yesterday that Bashar al-Assad must step down amid a flurry of moves to organise peace talks to end Syria’s bloody civil war. (more…)

Thousands of children fleeing Syrian civil war to Lebanon

Beirut, Lebanon- “They shot them, they shot my mama and dad,” 9-year-old Abdullah shouted, looking left and right with fear in his face. He would not give his family name.

Abdullah, a Syrian civil war refugee, was begging in front of a coffee shop in northern Lebanon’s ancient coastal city of Batroun, 30 miles from Beirut. (more…)

Syria wants peace conference details before deciding to go

Syria wants details on a U.S.-Russian proposed peace conference before it decides whether to attend and says the role of President Bashar al-Assad is a decision “only for the Syrian people and the ballot box”, a minister said.

Syrian Information Minister Omran Zoabi was quoted by state news agency SANA (more…)

US-Russia plan for Syria conference ‘slipping’ to June

An international conference aiming to help broker an end to the Syrian war is likely to be held in early June and not this month as the U.S. works to bring the sides together, a U.S. official said Monday. (more…)

Israel colluding with Hezbollah, Iran to save Assad , report

A Syrian opposition commander has accused Israel of colluding with Iran and Hezbollah in an effort to save the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad , Turkish news network Today’s Zaman reported on Sunday.

Abdulkader Saleh, a commander in the al-Tawhid Brigade of the Free Syrian Army told Today’s Zaman that “Assad has protected Israel’s border for 40 years,” and that is why Israel is cooperating with “Iran and Hezbollah to be able to support Assad” against the rebels . (more…)

Turkish FM blames world’s inaction on Syria for attacks

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday blamed the world’s inaction on the Syrian conflict for the “barbarian act of terrorism” that claimed dozens of lives near the border. (more…)

9 Detained in Turkey Car Bombings. All Linked to Syria’s Assad

Turkish authorities said Sunday that nine people had been detained in twin car bombings a day earlier in southern Turkey that killed 46 people and injured at least 155.

Speaking at a news conference, senior government officials said that the nine people detained had been linked to the Syrian government (more…)