The Russian military says “several” Syrian civilians were killed when mortar rounds fired by rebels struck Russian aid distribution points in the Syrian capital, Damascus. ——6:15 p.m.Turkey’s military says a soldier has been killed in shelling in the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin. At least 16 Turkish soldiers have been killed since Ankara launched an offensive last month aimed at driving Syrian Kurdish fighters out of the northern Syrian enclave along the border. Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish force to be an extension of the Kurdish insurgency in its own southeast. Turkey launched its offensive on Jan. 20 to clear Afrin of Syrian Kurdish forces, whom Ankara views as terrorists because of their links to Kurdish insurgents in Turkey.

Source: National Post February 05, 2018 12:36 UTC