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| The Latest: Moscow sees progress ahead of Syria truce | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| BEIRUT — The Latest on the conflict in Syria and the provisional cease-fire proposed by the U.S. and Russia (all times local): | BEIRUT — The Latest on the conflict in Syria and the provisional cease-fire proposed by the U.S. and Russia (all times local): |
| 2:5o p.m. | |
| A spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry says Russia is seeing progress ahead of the start of a truce in Syria. | |
| Maria Zakharova is also lauding efforts by Russia and the United States — the two countries that engineered the truce — to makes sure the cease-fire holds. | |
| The cease-fire is to go into effect on midnight Friday. The Syrian opposition has agreed to abide by the truce but expressed major concerns about what it said were ambiguities and the lack of clear mechanism to implement the agreement. | |
| Zakharova also told reporters on Thursday that the U.S. and Russian militaries have begun exchanging intelligence on terrorist groups in Syria. | |
| ___ | |
| 12:40 p.m. | 12:40 p.m. |
| Turkey’s prime minister says he is concerned that Russia will continue to hit Syrian civilians or the moderate opposition during the upcoming truce agreed on in Syria. | Turkey’s prime minister says he is concerned that Russia will continue to hit Syrian civilians or the moderate opposition during the upcoming truce agreed on in Syria. |
| Ahmet Davutoglu has accused Russia of striking the moderate opposition in Syria in the past five months under the guise of hitting Syria’s al-Qaida branch, known as the Nusra Front. | Ahmet Davutoglu has accused Russia of striking the moderate opposition in Syria in the past five months under the guise of hitting Syria’s al-Qaida branch, known as the Nusra Front. |
| He says the cease-fire would have “no meaning if Russia continues with its irresponsible bombings.” | He says the cease-fire would have “no meaning if Russia continues with its irresponsible bombings.” |
| Meanwhile, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday told state-run Anadolu Agency that Saudi aircraft will arrive “today or tomorrow” at the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey to join the fight against Islamic State in Syria. | Meanwhile, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday told state-run Anadolu Agency that Saudi aircraft will arrive “today or tomorrow” at the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey to join the fight against Islamic State in Syria. |
| Cavusoglu did not say how many planes Saudi Arabia would be sending to the base. | Cavusoglu did not say how many planes Saudi Arabia would be sending to the base. |
| ___ | ___ |
| 12:30 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. |
| Turkey’s prime minister has warned a Syrian Kurdish militia against taking advantage of an upcoming truce in Syria for actions that threaten Turkey’s security. | Turkey’s prime minister has warned a Syrian Kurdish militia against taking advantage of an upcoming truce in Syria for actions that threaten Turkey’s security. |
| Ahmet Davutoglu says his country will respond to such actions and that Turkey will not be bound by the cease-fire agreement due to be implemented this this week if the Kurdish militia poses any threat. | Ahmet Davutoglu says his country will respond to such actions and that Turkey will not be bound by the cease-fire agreement due to be implemented this this week if the Kurdish militia poses any threat. |
| Davutoglu spoke on Turkish TV on Thursday. | Davutoglu spoke on Turkish TV on Thursday. |
| Ankara considers the Syrian Kurdish group a terror organization because of its links to Turkey’s own Kurdish rebels and has been shelling the militia’s positions inside Syria along the border with Turkey. | Ankara considers the Syrian Kurdish group a terror organization because of its links to Turkey’s own Kurdish rebels and has been shelling the militia’s positions inside Syria along the border with Turkey. |
| Davutoglu says that “where Turkey’s security is concerned, we would not seek anyone’s permission, we would do whatever is necessary” to defend the country. | Davutoglu says that “where Turkey’s security is concerned, we would not seek anyone’s permission, we would do whatever is necessary” to defend the country. |
| ___ | ___ |
| 12:15 p.m. | 12:15 p.m. |
| Syria’s state-run news agency and an opposition monitoring group say government troops have recaptured a town in Aleppo province from Islamic State militants. | Syria’s state-run news agency and an opposition monitoring group say government troops have recaptured a town in Aleppo province from Islamic State militants. |
| The victory is key for Syria’s military access to the provincial capital, Aleppo city. | The victory is key for Syria’s military access to the provincial capital, Aleppo city. |
| SANA says the army took the town of Khanaser on Thursday, after three days of heavy battles with the extremist group. | SANA says the army took the town of Khanaser on Thursday, after three days of heavy battles with the extremist group. |
| The report says heavy fighting was ongoing to reopen the road to Aleppo city. IS seized Khanaser and surrounding hills on Tuesday, cutting the government’s main land route to the city. | The report says heavy fighting was ongoing to reopen the road to Aleppo city. IS seized Khanaser and surrounding hills on Tuesday, cutting the government’s main land route to the city. |
| The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition monitoring group, says the army and pro-government Shiite militias were backed by Russian airstrikes in the push on Khanaser. | The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition monitoring group, says the army and pro-government Shiite militias were backed by Russian airstrikes in the push on Khanaser. |
| The advance comes ahead of a cease-fire meant to start on midnight Friday. | The advance comes ahead of a cease-fire meant to start on midnight Friday. |
| Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |