Russia Accuses Turkey Of Pursuing 'Hidden Game' In Syria
Turkey is playing a "hidden game" in pursuit of its own "opportunistic interests" in Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
"Suffice it to recall the acquisition, in violation of the UN Security Council's resolution, of smuggled oil through its territory, that is, IS oil. Not to mention the regular supplying by the Turkish authorities, including weapons, to various extremist groups in Syria, among whom are openly terrorist [groups]," Zakharova said.
Russia Slams France For 'Strange, Unbecoming' Remarks Over Syria Air Strikes
Comments by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius accusing Russia of carrying out air strikes on civilian targets are "strange and unbecoming," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
"You know, the other day, the French Foreign Minister, Mr. Fabius, at the end of his meeting in Paris with the coordinator of the so-called supreme committee of the forces of the Syrian revolution, Mr. Hijab [the former Syrian prime minister chosen to be the representative of Syrian opposition groups in talks] showed photos of starving residents in Madaya and other, as he put it, towns besieged by the Syrian regime. Then he accused Russia of of military actions against the civilian population of Syria, and even of bombing schools. To put it mildly, all this looks strange and unbecoming, since we're talking about the French foreign minister," Zakharova said, according to RIA Novosti.
Turkey Hits IS Targets In Syria, Iraq
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that Turkish land forces fired nearly 500 times on IS targets in Syria and Iraq in response to a January 12 suicide bombing in Istanbul that killed 10 German tourists.
"After the incident on Tuesday … close to 500 artillery and tank shells were fired on [IS] positions in Syria and Iraq," Davutoglu said.
"Close to 200 [IS] members including so-called regional leaders were neutralized in the last 48 hours. After this, every threat directed at Turkey will be punished in kind."
Turkey says it has killed 200 IS militants across its south eastern border in the last 48 hours.
Some analysts are questioning the claim by the IS-linked Aamaq news agency that IS was responsible for this morning's attacks in Jakarta.
Support for the IS group -- which has claimed responsibility for today's attacks in Jakarta -- has been growing in Indonesia, according to reports.
Imprisoned radical Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who inspired the Bali bombers, has been accused of actively helping the IS group.
Sidney Jones, director of the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, estimated in July that there are more than 300 Indonesians fighting alongside IS in the Middle East.
In July 2014, IS released a recruitment video in Indonesian calling on Indonesian Muslims to join the group.
Jakarta Militants 'Came From Solo, In Contact With IS In Syria'
Officials in Indonesia have said that the militants responsible for this morning's attacks in Jakarta came from an IS-linked group on Indonesia's main island of Solo and were in touch with militants in Syria.
"We have detected communications between a Syrian group and the Solo group," Deputy Police Chief Budi Gunawan said.
Jan. 25 Peace Talks 'Unrealistic' Says Syrian Opposition Politician
Syrian opposition politician George Sabra has told Reuters that he thinks January 25 is an "unrealistic date" for peace talks to begin in Geneva unless sieges are lifted and humanitarian aid allowed to reach civilians.
"There are still towns under siege. There are still Russian attacks on villages, schools and hospitals," Sabra said. "There is no sign of goodwill."
France24's Wassim Nasr has shared a screen grab of the declaration by the IS-linked Aamaq news agency that the IS group were behind this morning's attacks in Jakarta.
IS Attack In Jakarta Its First In Indonesia
IS's attack on Indonesia's capital is the first assault on the Muslim-majority nation by the militant group, Reuters reports.
Five of the seven people killed in the attack were the militants themselves.