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A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 4 May 2019
Afghanistan's grand council ends with call for peace talks

By AMIR SHAH U.S., meanwhile, has ac-
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) celerated efforts to find a
— An Afghan grand coun- peaceful resolution to the
cil convened by President 17-year war — America's
Ashraf Ghani ended on longest conflict.
Friday with a resounding U.S. special peace envoy
call for peace with the Tal- Zalmay Khalilzad, appoint-
iban and a promise from ed last year, has been criss-
the president to free 175 crossing the region seeking
Taliban prisoners ahead consensus among Afghani-
of Ramadan, the Islamic stan's neighbors, as well as
holy month that starts next Russia and China, on the
week. need for a peace settle-
The council — known as ment. President Donald
Loya Jirga — had brought Trump has also expressed
together more than 3,200 his frustration with Washing-
participants, politicians, ton's longtime involvement
tribal elders, many promi- in Afghanistan, as well as
nent figures and others to a desire to bring the esti-
hammer out a shared strat- mated 14,000 U.S. soldiers
egy for future negotiations home.
with the Taliban. Delegates attend the last day of the Afghan Loya Jirga meeting in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, May The grand council pro-
Ghani had sought to proj- 3, 2019. duced a 23-point list for
ect a unified stance with Associated Press peace-talks with the Tal-
the council but several iban, including a truce for
prominent Afghans boy- that the choice is now in was clear: "Afghans want and NATO troops withdraw Ramadan, when Muslims
cotted the gathering, in- your hands," Ghani said at peace." from the country. fast from dawn to dusk.
cluding Ghani's partner in the closing ceremony in He also offered a cease-fire The Taliban have in recent The Loya Jirga also urged
the government, Chief Ex- Kabul. "Now it is your turn but stressed that it would months stepped-up their the government to form a
ecutive Abdullah Abdullah, to show what you want to not be unilateral. The pro- attacks, inflicting stagger- strong negotiating team
exposing the deepening do." posal is likely moot as the ing casualties on Afghan and said at least 50 of its
rifts in the administration. Ghani said the message Taliban have so far reject- forces, and now hold sway members should represent
"I want to say to the Taliban of the five-day gathering ed a cease-fire until U.S. over half the country. The victims of wars. q

Syria rebels repel limited attack on enclave despite truce

By SARAH EL DEEB lowed intense airstrikes on
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebel the southern edge of Idlib
fighters repelled an attack province and northern
by government forces fol- Hama.
lowing brief clashes Friday The rebel forces, organized
at the southern edge of the under the name of the
last rebel-held enclave in National Front for Libera-
Syria, activists and the insur- tion, said they repelled the
gents said. It was the first at- advancing government
tempted ground operation troops and destroyed two
to violate a shaky seven- vehicles. They also said
month truce. they had killed government
The clashes came after soldiers, a claim that could
days of intense govern- not be immediately veri-
ment escalation against fied.
the rebel enclave in north- The activist-operated
western Syria that included Shaam news agency said
Russian airstrikes and indis- the rebels had killed Syr-
criminate barrel bombs. ian soldiers using armed
Russia said its air base in drones.
nearby Latakia province The head of the Observato-
came under attack Friday ry, Rami Abdurrahman, said
but its forces thwarted the there had been a buildup
attempt, without elaborat- of government troops in
ing. This photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated the area for days. He said
based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows smoke rises after Syrian government and Rus-
The increased fighting has sian airstrikes hit the town of al-Habeet, southern Idlib, Syria, Friday, May 3, 2019. the attempted advance
undermined the cease-fire Associated Press appeared designed to ex-
negotiated by Russia and pand government control
Turkey, in place since Sep- ian Observatory for Human days had killed at least 38. on the rebel enclave from of strategic areas and pro-
tember. The agreement Rights, which monitors the After a wave of airstrikes, the Qalaat al-Madiq area tect the Russian air base in
has since been weakened war in Syria, described the rebel groups and the Ob- in Hama province, clash- Latakia. Moscow has previ-
by recurrent cycles of vio- escalation as the "fiercest" servatory said government ing with insurgents there. ously warned that hostilities
lence. since September. It said troops and allied fighters The Observatory said the in Idlib and the surrounding
The Britain-based Syr- fighting during the last four attempted to advance attempted advance fol- area threaten the base.q