Syria’s military has said its joint airstrikes with Russia have killed at least 400 insurgents over the past 24 hours – as Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his support for Syrian President Bashar al Assad.
The strikes are being carried outafter insurgents led by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al Sham and including Turkey-backed fighters launched a two-pronged attack on Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, on Saturday.
The rebels then moved into the countryside around the provinces of Idlib and neighbouring Hama.
Syrian and Russian airstrikes have mainly been carried out on rebel positions in those two provinces, Syria’s military said.
Syria’s opposition-run White Helmets rescue service said on Monday that at least 25 people, including 10 children, have been killed in airstrikes carried out by the Syrian government and Russia.
It comes as Mr Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke in a phone call about the “escalating situation” in Syria, the Kremlin said.
Image: People walk past a damaged site in Aleppo. Pic: Reuters
The pair, who are both longtime allies of the Syrian president, discussed “large-scale aggression” by rebel fighters which they viewed “as an attempt to undermine the sovereignty, political, and socio-economic stability of the Syrian state”, a statement read.
More from World
Mr Putin and Mr Pezeshkian expressed their “unconditional support” for the Syrian government, it added.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday: “We, of course, continue to support (Syrian president) Bashar Assad, we continue our contacts at the appropriate level and analyse the situation.
“A position will be formed regarding what is needed to stabilise the situation.”
Separately, Mr Pezeshkian told Mr Assad in a phone call that Tehran is willing to provide all the support needed to push back the insurgency.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:59
Rebels seen by Aleppo air defences
It came as Syria’s military said on Monday that government forces were mobilising to encircle rebels in the countryside of Aleppo, Hama and Idlib.
Meanwhile, two Syrian army sources told Reuters that Iran-backed militant groups had entered Syria from Iraq.
They added that the Iraqi militants were heading north to bolster Syrian army forces battling rebels.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based opposition war monitor, some 200 Iraqi militiamen riding on pickups crossed into Syria overnight through the strategic Bou Kamal crossing.
They were expected to deploy in Aleppo to support the Syrian army’s pushback against the insurgents, the monitor said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:21
Rebels post video of gun fight at prison
The push by the rebels in the north of the country is among their strongest in years and raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when US-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon – both Iran-allied groups
It also risks drawing Russia and Turkey – each with its own interests to protect in Syria – into direct confrontation.
The advance by the insurgents is also huge embarrassment for Mr Assad, and it comes at a time when his allies – Iran and the groups it backs, and Russia – are preoccupied with their own conflicts.
Worldwide stock markets have plummeted for the second day running as the fallout from Donald Trump’s global tariffs continues.
While European and Asian markets suffered notable falls, American indexes were the worst hit, with Wall Street closing to a sea of red on Friday following Thursday’s rout – the worst day in US markets since the COVID-19 pandemic.
All three of the US’s major indexes were down by more than 5% at market close; The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 5.5%, the S&P 500 was 5.97% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 5.82%.
The Nasdaq was also 22% below its record-high set in December, which indicates a bear market.
Ever since the US president announced the tariffs on Wednesday evening, analysts estimate that around $4.9trn (£3.8trn) has been wiped off the value of the global stock market.
More on Donald Trump
Related Topics:
Mr Trump has remained unapologetic as the markets struggle, posting in all-caps on Truth Social before the markets closed that “only the weak will fail”.
The UK’s leading stock market, the FTSE 100, also suffered its worst daily drop in more than five years, closing 4.95% down, a level not seen since March 2020.
And the Japanese exchange Nikkei 225 dropped by 2.75% at end of trading, down 20% from its recent peak in July last year.
Image: US indexes had the worst day of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pic: Reuters
Trump holds trade deal talks – reports
It comes as a source told CNN that Mr Trump has been in discussions with Vietnamese, Indianand Israelirepresentatives to negotiate bespoke trade deals that could alleviate proposed tariffs on those countries before a deadline next week.
The source told the US broadcaster the talks were being held in advance of the reciprocal levies going into effect next week.
Vietnam faced one of the highest reciprocal tariffs announced by the US president this week, with 46% rates on imports. Israeli imports face a 17% rate, and Indian goods will be subject to 26% tariffs.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
China – hit with 34% tariffs on imported goods – has also announced it will issue its own levy of the same rate on US imports.
Mr Trump said China “played it wrong” and “panicked – the one thing they cannot afford to do” in another all-caps Truth Social post earlier on Friday.
Later, on Air Force One, the US president told reporters that “the beauty” of the tariffs is that they allow for negotiations, referencing talks with Chinese company ByteDance on the sale of social media app TikTok.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
6:50
Tariffs: Xi hits back at Trump
He said: “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’
“The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”
Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.
The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.
The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.
The court ruled to uphold the impeachment saying the conservative leader “violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops” when he declared martial law.
The president was also said to have taken actions “beyond the powers provided in the constitution”.
Image: Demonstrators stayed overnight near the constitutional court. Pic: AP
Supporters and opponents of the president gathered in their thousands in central Seoul as they awaited the ruling.
The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the public and international allies in early December when he declared martial law, meaning all existing laws regarding civilians were suspended in place of military law.
Image: The court was under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement. Pic: AP
After suddenly declaring martial law, Mr Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.
He has argued that he sought to maintain order, but some senior military and police officers sent there have told hearings and investigators that Mr Yoon ordered them to drag out politicians to prevent an assembly vote on his decree.
His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.
The unanimous verdict to uphold parliament’s impeachment and remove Mr Yoon from office required the support of at least six of the court’s eight justices.
South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new leader.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to become the country’s next president, according to surveys.