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WORLD NEWSThursday 11 February 2016

Kurdish fighters attack Syrian air base held by insurgents

Syrians gather at the scene where three bombs exploded in Sayyda Zeinab, a predominantly rebels near Mannagh air ince have brought “the al-
Shiite Muslim suburb of the Syrian capital, Damascus. Kurdish fighters helped by Russian airstrikes base. He accused the YPG ready devastated health
launched an attack in northern Syria on Wednesday in an attempt to capture a military air base of trying to take Arab vil- system” close to collapse in
held by Syrian insurgents. lages near Afrin. the Azaz district, some 10 ki-
“We are fighting on three lometers (6 miles) from the
(Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP) fronts,” he said via Skype, Turkish border.
referring to the YPG, Syrian The group, also known as
BASSEM MROUE lapse. ern city of Aleppo and the troops and the IS group, MSF, warned that any es-
Associated Press Syria’s Kurds have been Turkish border, the Kurds which also controls parts calation would worsen the
BEIRUT (AP) — Kurdish among the most effective appeared to be exploiting of Aleppo province. He humanitarian crisis in the
fighters helped by Russian forces battling the Islamic the chaos to expand their warned that Mannagh air northern region, which has
airstrikes launched an at- State group, but have re- nearby enclave, known as base could fall to Kurd- already sent tens of thou-
tack in northern Syria on mained largely neutral in Afrin. ish fighters because of the sands of people fleeing
Wednesday in an attempt the conflict between Presi- Maj. Yasser Abdul-Rahim, a Russian air cover and the toward the border with Tur-
to capture a military air dent Bashar Assad and the rebel commander in Alep- intensity of the attack. key. It said several hospitals
base held by Syrian insur- rebels fighting to overthrow po province, told The As- The Britain-based Syr- and smaller health facilities
gents, while an internation- him. But with Syrian troops sociated Press that fighters ian Observatory for Human in Azaz and around the city
al aid group warned that backed by Russian war- from the Kurdish People’s Rights also said YPG fight- of Aleppo have been hit
the health system in parts planes waging a major of- Protection Units, known as ers are trying to capture by airstrikes in the last two
of the north is close to col- fensive between the north- the YPG, are clashing with the former Syrian air base, weeks, including at least
which fell to the opposition three MSF-supported hos-
in August 2013. pitals.
Ahmad al-Ahmad, an op- MSF said attacks “on the
position activist based in few remaining functional
Aleppo province, said the medical facilities must stop
fighting is concentrated immediately. Fighting and
outside the air base and bombing campaigns in
that Russian warplanes are heavily populated areas
bombarding the area. He must be halted, at the very
said that YPG fighters are least until civilians can flee
also trying to push their way to secure areas with ac-
toward the nearby village cess to basic services.”
of Kfar Naya. “The front The Observatory’s chief
in northern Aleppo is in Rami Abdurrahman said
flames,” he said via Skype. that since the offensive in
Kurdish forces in Afrin could Aleppo province began
not be reached for com- on Feb. 1, some 518 people
ment. have been killed, includ-
Doctors Without Borders ing 101 civilians, 169 insur-
meanwhile said military gents and 143 troops and
operations in Aleppo prov- pro-government forces.q

Nigeria’s army accuse 2 soldiers of arming Boko Haram

HARUNA UMAR where Boko Haram com- about 300 civilians held by propaganda has urged northeast where they had
Associated Press mits most attacks, and may Boko Haram. militants who cannot reach declared an Islamic caliph-
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Ni- have trained insurgents in His statements come a Iraq orSyria to go to Africa ate.
geria’s army has arrest- bomb-making. day after Nigeria’s Secret and fight in Libya or join Boko Haram has changed
ed two soldiers allegedly Some soldiers have told the Service said it arrested an Boko Haram, but there has tactics, hitting soft targets
caught trying to ferry a AP that Boko Haram has alleged recruiter for the Is- been no evidence of IS like remote villages and
large quantity of arms and infiltrated Nigeria’s security lamic State group in Iraq fighters in Nigeria. carrying out multiple sui-
ammunition to Boko Haram forces and some fight with and Syria, identified as Ab- Nigeria’s President Muham- cide bombings in cities. A
Islamic extremists, a spokes- the army by day and with dussalam Enesi Yunusa. It madu Buhari declared in twin suicide bombing Tues-
man said Wednesday. the extremists by night. did not give his nationality. December that Nigeria’s day killed 58 people in a
Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman Usman spoke at a news The Secret Service said two military has “technically” refugee camp. A Jan. 30
said the two were sappers, conference where he also Nigerians already are train- won the war against Boko attack on the outskirts of
or combat engineers, who reported that in recent ing in Libya with IS. Haram, forcing the mili- Maiduguri, the command
worked in an explosive ordi- days the military has killed Boko Haram pledged al- tants from towns and vil- center of the war on Boko
nance unit in the northeast 35 extremists and rescued legiance to IS last year. IS lages across a swath of the Haram, killed 92 people. q