Kerry says Russian FM Lavrov agrees need to discuss Syria ceasefire: Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov have agreed on the need to discuss how to implement a cease fire in Syria during a phone call between the two this morning.
Speaking at the start of a Syria donor conference in London, Kerry said that he had spoken to Lavrov.
"I had a conversation this morning with Foreign Minister Lavrov. We discussed, and he agreed that we need to discuss, how to implement the ceasefire and also how to get (humanitarian) access by both parties," Kerry told reporters.
Russian military advisor killed in Syria not involved in ground ops: Kremlin spox
A Russian military advisor killed in Syria did not participate in any ground operations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, Radio Svoboda reports.
Russia's Defense Ministry announced on Feb. 3 that on Feb. 1 a Russian military advisor had been killed in a mortar attack by IS militants on a military garrison in Syria.
Peskov said that the Russian military advisors are only training their Syrian counterparts in the use of technology supplied to Syria under existing contracts.
Peskov added that the Kremlin could not yet name the Russian military advisor who was killed, since "this issue has its own considerations."
Syrian government forces enter besieged Shi'ite villages in Aleppo
Syrian government forces and allied loyalist fighters entered two Shi'ite villages today after advancing in an offensive around Aleppo city.
The villages had been besieged by rebels including from Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate the Al-Nusra Front, since 2012. The government has sought to reach them for a long time.
Lebanese Hizbullah TV station Al Manar broadcast footage of Syrian government troops entering the villages amid crowds of residents chanting pro-government slogans.
NPR's Alison Meuse tweets this summary of the stalemate over the Syria talks, now suspended until Feb. 25.
We are now closing the live blog for today. Join us again tomorrow for all the latest news surrounding Islamic State.
UN suspends Syrian peace talks: BBC
The UN has suspended Syrian peace talks until Feb. 25 following a lack of progress in the first week, the BBC reports.
Senior IS commanders taking refuge in Libya
A number of senior IS commanders from Iraq and Syria are taking refuge in Libya, a top Libyan intelligence official has told the BBC.
The official said that increasing numbers of foreign fighters have arrived in IS's Libyan stronghold of Sirte.
Turkey bans Russian surveillance flight near Syria border
Russia's Defense Ministry has accused Turkey of violating the Open Skies Treaty by banning a planned Russian surveillance flight.
Defense Ministry official Sergei Ryzhkov said that Turkey would not allow the flight as the flight path ran along border areas.
Ties between Russia and Turkey have been strained since Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syria border in November.
Islam Army 'might end up on list of terror groups': Russian media
Pro-Kremlin news agency RIA Novosti is citing a "Western diplomatic source" as saying that the Syrian Islamist rebel group the Islam Army could be included in a list of terrorist organizations if it drops out of the Syria peace talks in Geneva.
Russia has been lobbying for the Islam Army to be excluded from the talks and has said it considers the group to be a terror organization.
RIA cites the unnamed diplomatic source as saying that "if the Islam Army leaves the negotiations process, it will play into the hands of those who consider it terrorist."
Has Assad cut off rebels in Aleppo from Turkey?
Analyst Aaron Stein tweets that this may well be the case.
In which case, weapons and aid to rebels in Aleppo would have to be sent via the Bab al-Hawa border crossing via Idlib province.
Aron Lund tweeted this map by @PetoLucem yesterday that explained the situation as of Feb. 2; today there are reports that government forces have encircled Aleppo.
This is a big boost for Assad as talks falter in Geneva...