The Guardian
Fierce clashes erupted between rebels and pro-government forces around Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, on Saturday despite a proclamation from the Syrian military that it would extend its ceasefire through Monday.
The military had declared a nationwide ceasefire for the Eid al-Fitr holiday on 6 July, expiring 8 July at midnight, but it had little impact on the ground, as pro-government forces choked off the last supply route to opposition areas in the contested city of Aleppo on 7 July.
Two Russian airmen were killed in Homs when their helicopter was shot down by Isis fighters, according to Russia’s defence ministry.
Two Russian airmen, meanwhile, were reportedly killed in the country’s central Homs province when their helicopter was shot down by Isis fighters. The Russian-Syrian government military alliance has had trouble securing the country’s desert interior after forcing the extremist group out of the ancient city of Palmyra in March. Isis militants promptly seized the nearby Shaer natural gas fields after that, and threatened to advance on Palmyra once again.
A defence ministry statement on Saturday reported by the state news agency Tass said the incident occurred Friday east of Palmyra.
According to the statement, the two Russians were making a test flight with a Syrian Mi-25 helicopter that was carrying ammunition. It said Isis fighters broke through Syrian forces’ lines east of Palmyra at the same time.
The statement said the Syrians requested the crew help strike the Isis fighters and the helicopter was shot down after the crew exhausted the aircraft’s ammunition and were leaving the scene.
The Observatory said nine people, including eight women and children, were killed in presumed Russian or Syrian government airstrikes and rocket attacks on the opposition-held side of the city.
Elsewhere in Syria, airstrikes on the village of Darkoush in the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib on Friday killed 23 people, including two children, according to the Observatory. It was not clear whether Syrian or Russian warplanes were responsible.
The now-extended cease-fire is set to expire at midnight on July 12.