Backed by Russia, Syria army advances towards Turkey border
The Syrian army has advanced toward the Turkish border today in a major offensive backed by Russian air strikes and Iran-backed militias, with government forces now just three miles from the rebel-held town of Tal Rafaat, Reuters is reporting.
Reuters spoke to rebels who say that their existence is now threatened.
"Our whole existence is now threatened, not just losing more ground," said Abdul Rahim al-Najdawi from Liwa al-Tawheed, an insurgent group.
"They are advancing and we are pulling back because in the face of such heavy aerial bombing we must minimize our losses."
Iraq deploying thousands of troops to retake IS-held Mosul: AFP
The Iraqi army is deploying thousands of soldiers to a northern base in preparation for operations to retake the Islamic State group's hub of Mosul, officials have said, according to AFP.
The IS group captured Mosul in June 2014 and has held the city largely unopposed since then.
"Units from the Iraqi army have begun arriving to a military base near the Makhmur district to start launching initial military operations toward Mosul," a staff brigadier general told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"There are three brigades located in that base now," and their number will eventually reach 4,500 soldiers, the officer said, adding that troops from the 15th and 16th division will take part in operations to retake Mosul.
Kadyrov says Chechen special forces operating 'against IS' in Syria
Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov has said that Chechen special forces are operating in Syria, Meduza reports.
Kadyrov's comments were broadcast on Feb. 7 on the Rossiya-1 television channel as a preview of a Feb. 10 airing of a documentary by Russian journalist Alexander Rogatkin, according to Meduza.
The head of the Chechen Republic said that he had managed to create a network of agents inside the IS group.
"The best fighters from the Republic were sent there. They are gathering intelligence about the structure, number of terrorists, they are defining targets for bombing and recording their results," Kadyrov said.
Syrian rebels lose ground to Kurds, government
Syrian rebels have abandoned three villages in the northern province of Aleppo, allowing Kurdish YPG militia fighters to overrun them, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, has said, AFP reports.
The rebels withdrew from Aqlamiyah, Deir Jamal and Mareanar on Feb. 7 after residents insisted they do so, fearing their houses would be destroyed in Russian air strikes.
Aqlamiyah and Mareanar are near the Mennagh military air base, captured by rebels -- including the then-Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham -- in August 2013.
Government forces are advancing toward Tal Rifaat in northern Aleppo, a rebel-held town 20 kilometers south of the Turkish border. Their aim is to then capture the border town of Azaz to stop fighters and weapons crossing from Turkey.
Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees remain stranded near Turkish border
Tens of thousands of displaced Syrians fleeing a Russian-backed government advance on the city of Aleppo are still stranded near the Turkish border, which remains closed despite international pressure for Ankara to allow more refugees in.
The BBC reports this morning that Turkish aid workers have been setting up tents and distributing supplies for the thousands of new refugees amassing at the border.
Around 35,000 Syrians fled the government offensive around Aleppo last week and have made their way to the border.
Turkish aid trucks and ambulances entered Syria from Turkey yesterday as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that air strikes thought to be Russian hit towns north of Aleppo, including Bashkoy, Haritan and Anadan.
Russia arrests 7 'IS militants' suspected of planning attacks in Moscow
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested seven suspects it says are members of the IS group who were planning attacks on targets in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Urals region, RIA Novosti is reporting.
The suspects were arrested in Ekaterinburg on Feb. 7.
The FSB said that the group was led by a militant who came to Russia from Turkey.
Two Londoners identified as member of IS 'execution cell' led by Jihadi John
Two men from London have been identified as members of the gang that carried out the detention and beheadings of western hostages in Syria including U.S. journalist James Foley, the British press is reporting this morning.
The gang was led by Mohammed Emwazi, nicknamed "Jihadi John," who was killed in a drone strike last year.
The Guardian names the men as Alexanda Kotey, 32, and Aine Leslie Davis, 31.
Kotey is a convert to Islam and a father of two who grew up in West London and who has been described as being of Ghanaian and Greek-Cypriot background.
His relatives say that he has not been seen for "a number of years."
Sky News reports that it is believed Kotey attended the same London mosque as Emwazi.
The second man, Davis, is another associate of Emwazi who also attended the same mosque, according to Sky News.
Davis is a former drug dealer who went to Syria in 2013, according to the Guardian. He was detained in Turkey last November on suspicion of planning attacks in Istanbul like the Nov. 13 Paris attacks that killed 130 people.
The Guardian reports:
A spokesman for the Home Office in London would “neither confirm nor deny” that Kotey and Davis were members of Emwazi’s group.
The Washington Post and Buzzfeed identified Kotey earlier on Sunday, citing a US intelligence official. ITV News also named Kotey, as well as confirming that Davis had been part of the terror cell. The Guardian has independently verified the names.
That concludes our live-blogging of the crisis surrounding Islamic State for the week, barring any major news developments. Check back here on Monday morning for more of our continuing coverage.
At least 15,000 Syrian refugees now amassed at Turkish border: officials
The BBC is reporting that at least 15,000 Syrian refugees fleeing the intense fighting in northern Aleppo province have now amassed at the Bab al-Salam border crossing with Turkey, according to UN and Turkish officials.
The UN is saying that 20,000 refugees have gathered at Bab al-Salam, while Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutlgu said 15,000 are there.
Another 5,000-10,000 displaced people have gathered in Azaz near the Turkish border, the UN have told AFP.
U.S. preparing for possible humanitarian air drops over Syria
The United States is preparing for possible air drops of humanitarian aid over besieged areas of Syria, where hundreds of thousands of people are cut off from food and medical supplies.
The Washington Post reports:
Administration officials emphasized that airdropped relief is only in the planning stages and has not yet been approved. But U.S. forces, who have conducted similar operations in northern Iraq and Syria, could move within days to implement a decision.