U.S.-led strikes kill 15 civilians in northeast Syria: monitor
WATCH: Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces condemn Ankara bombing
The Kurdish (YPG) led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have issued a video statement condemning yesterday's deadly bombing in Ankara.
The written text of the statement shared with the video says that: "Yesterday civilians were targeted in Ankara, we in the Syrian Democratic Forces strongly condemn the targeting of unarmed civilians in Ankara, and we call on the forces that carried out this non-human action whoever they are to stop these acts of terror.We also call on the international community to intensify its efforts in the fight against terrorism and to uproot it."
PYD tweets official statement denying involvement in Ankara bombing
The Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) has tweeted the official statement by the leader of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) denying involvement in yesterday's deadly bomb blast in Ankara.
Muslim said that "we do not have anything to do with the bombing in Ankara and we do not interfere in Turkey's internal affairs."
Turkey says Syrian gov't directly responsible for Ankara bombing
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that the Syrian government is directly responsible for the Feb. 17 bomb blast in Ankara, which killed at least 28 and injured 61.
“The YPG [People’s Protection Units] is a tool of the Syrian regime and the regime is directly responsible for this attack. The right to take all kinds of measures against the Syrian regime is reserved for us,” Davutoglu told reporters this morning, Hurriyet reports.
Syrian army says recaptures strategic town of Kansaba in Latakia countryside
The Syrian army has said that it has recaptured the strategic town of Kansaba in the northern countryside of Latakia, state news agency SANA is reporting this morning.
Syrian Kurdish leader denies PYD behind Ankara blast
Salih Muslim, the leader of the main Syrian Kurdish group the Democratic Union Party (PYD) has denied that his group is behind yesterday's deadly blast in Turkey and has warned Ankara against taking Syria ground action, The Associated Press reports.
Salih Muslim told The Associated Press from his base in Europe Thursday that the Turkish accusations are "totally rejected."
He also says that the blast in Ankara that killed around 28 people is similar to bombings carried out in the past by the Islamic State group.
"We have no link to these bombings and with what is happening inside Turkey," he says.
He says that any Turkish ground action in Syria will be confronted by a coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters
Aid reaches besieged Moadamiya al-Sham
How Russia uses Harry Potter, The Hobbit and Alice in Wonderland to slam UK criticism of Syria bombings
A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman has responded somewhat colorfully to comments from the UK's Defense Secretary Michael Fallon accusing Moscow of causing civilian casualties in Syria.
Igor Konashenkov talked about "intensified efforts by London to blame Russia for all the sins of the world."
Konashenkov went on to show his knowledge of British children's literature (though he seems not to recall the exact title of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings):
"When plausible details about the 'shelling' of Syrian cities gushes on a daily basis from London's Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, this is not a big surprise. After all, it's no coincidence that Alice in Wonderland and the saga of the misadventures of the Hobbit with the ring and even Harry Potter were born on the shores of Foggy Albion," Konashenkov said.
The Defense Ministry spokesman added: "when the Royal Minister of Defense starts to suddenly utter unsubstantiated pearls from "the Observatory" with a straight face, it is hard not to suspect some sort of plagiarism."
Konashenkov added some more criticism of the Observatory, suggesting that the UK Defense Ministry might actually be behind its reports:
"Really, it's not clear: does the British Defense Ministry always so plausibly write 'reports' of alleged shelling of Syrian 'mosques' and 'grocery stores' for the 'Observatory'? Or is the Observatory itself the author and the only source of information about Russian operations in Syria for the UK Defense Ministry?" he asked.
It is worth pointing out the irony of Konashenkov's hint that the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights -- which is based in the rather less glamorous Coventry rather than London -- is a UK propaganda tool. Pro-rebel and anti-Assad activists regularly slam the Observatory for what they claim is pro-Assad bias.
Hundreds of armed militants cross Turkey border into Syria: monitor
At least 500 armed militants crossed the Turkish border on Feb. 17, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said.
The fighters -- including rebels as well as Islamist militants -- are all armed and are headed for the Syrian border town of Azaz in northern Aleppo province where opposition forces have suffered setbacks at the hands of Kurdish fighters, SOHR said.
Another 350 militants were reported to have crossed the Atma border crossing on Feb. 14 armed with heavy and light weapons.
We are now closing the live blog for today. Join us again tomorrow for more coverage of Islamic State.