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WORLD NEWS Saturday 3 March 2018

Turkish airstrike kills pro-government gunmen in north Syria

By BASSEM MROUE providing details. The Leb-
BEIRUT (AP) — Turkey's air anon-based Al-Mayadeen
force hit two positions of TV, which has reporters
pro-government Syrian throughout Syria, including
fighters deployed last week in Afrin, said Turkish war-
in the Kurdish enclave of planes killed 18 pro-gov-
Afrin, killing and wounding ernment gunmen while 19
a number of fighters in an more were missing.
escalation of violence in Al-Mayadeen said the air-
a region where Turkey has strike occurred after the
been on the offensive for Popular Forces hit a Turkish
more than a month, Syrian helicopter gunship.
activists said Friday. The main Kurdish militia in
Turkish troops and Turkey- Syria, the People's Protec-
backed opposition fighters tion Units, or YPG, confirmed
have been on the offensive the attack, saying the air-
in Afrin since Jan. 20 against strikes killed and wounded
Syrian Kurdish fighters. An- several fighters without giv-
kara has also warned Da- ing further details.
mascus not to send fighters Turkey's military said Turkish-
to the area, saying it would made ATAK helicopters
target them. struck a region in western
Turkey considers Syrian This photo shows a burnt truck. According to Syrian state TV on Thursday night, a convoy carry- Afrin, killing nine "terrorists."
Kurdish fighters to be "ter- ing aid and heading toward Afrin was targeted by Turkish artillery, in al-Ziara village. The TV gave It did not provide further
rorists" linked to a Kurdish no further details about Thursday's incident, which came two days after pro-government fighters details and it was not clear
began entering the predominantly Kurdish town to shore up the Kurdish forces, after reaching an
insurgency within its own agreement with the YPG. if the airstrikes were in re-
borders. (SANA via AP) taliation for the deaths of
The pro-government Syr- eight Turkish soldiers who
ian force began deploying escalation between Turkey, backed by Iran. killed 17 members of the were reported killed there
in Afrin on Feb 20, despite the main backer of Syrian The Britain-based Syr- force known as the Popular on Thursday. State-run al-
Turkey's threats. Syrian state opposition fighters trying to ian Observatory for Human Forces. Ikhbariya TV said rebels
media said the aim is to de- remove President Bashar Rights said the airstrikes Syrian state news agency shelled a crossing point to
fend Afrin. Assad from power, and Syr- took place late Thursday in said Turkish forces killed Ghouta in order to prevent
The airstrikes mark a major ia's pro-government forces, the village of Jamaa and 20 people in Afrin, without people from leaving.q

US and Russia clash over blame for Syria chemical attacks

By EDITH M. LEDERER embattled rebel-held Da- from the U.N. and the Or- against the IS militants but government control over
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The mascus suburbs of eastern ganization for the Prohibi- rejected the experts' find- investigations and require
United States and Russia Ghouta. French President tion of Chemical Weapons, ings on the Syria govern- investigators to visit the site
are again clashing over an Emmanuel Macron reiter- concluded that the Syrian ment as unproven and de- of all chemical attacks.
expert body to determine ated Friday that the use of government used chlorine manded major changes in The United States circulat-
responsibility for chemical lethal chemical weapons, gas in at least two attacks the way the JIM operates. ed its proposal to replace
weapons attacks in Syria, if proven, would lead to a in 2014 and 2015 and used U.S. Ambassador Nikki Hal- the JIM this week, incorpo-
with Washington circulat- strong response. the nerve agent sarin in ey accused Russia of trying rating some Russian pro-
ing a new draft U.N. resolu- Russia vetoed a Western- an aerial attack on Khan to protect Syrian President posals. The draft resolution,
tion and Moscow moving backed resolution in No- Sheikhoun last April 4 that Bashar Assad. Nebenzia obtained Friday by The As-
toward a vote on its own vember that would have killed about 100 people accused the JIM of accus- sociated Press, would es-
proposal. The U.S. and Rus- extended the mandate and affected about 200 ing Syria of using chemical tablish the United Nations
sia have been lashing out of the Joint Investigative others. weapons without identify- Independent Mechanism
at each other for months Mechanism, or JIM, which The team also accused ing any perpetrators. of Investigation "to iden-
over the issue of account- was charged with deter- the Islamic State extremist Nebenzia circulated a draft tify perpetrators of chemi-
ability for chemical attacks mining responsibility for group of using mustard gas resolution in January that cal weapons attacks in
in Syria, which is a close ally chemical attacks, doom- in 2015 and again in Sep- would replace the JIM, but the Syrian Arab Republic
of Moscow. ing its operation and mak- tember 2016 in Um Hosh in Western powers expressed and to operate in an im-
The latest clash comes ing accountability exceed- Aleppo. Russia's U.N. Am- serious reservations, saying partial, independent, and
amid reports of suspected ingly difficult. bassador Vassily Nebenzia it ignores the JIM's finding professional manner in its
chemical attacks in the The JIM, comprising experts accepted the accusation and would give the Syrian investigations."q