Assad forces continue battle with Syrian rebels
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A man runs with a stretcher in a damaged site after airstrikes on the rebel held al-Qaterji neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria on Sept. 21, 2016. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
(REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
Men drive a motorcycle amidst rubble of damaged buildings near a graveyard after airstrikes on the rebel held al-Qaterji neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria on Sept. 21, 2016. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
(REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
A man carries an injured girl after airstrikes on the rebel held al-Qaterji neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria on Sept. 21, 2016. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
(REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
A damaged wall of a school is pictured in rebel-held Ain Tarma, eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria on Sept. 17, 2016. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
People drive in the Ramousah area of southern Aleppo, after the Syrian army and allied militia advanced in the area, Syria on Sept. 9, 2016. (SANA/Handout via REUTERS)
(SANA/Handout via REUTERS)
Syrian army soldiers inspect the damage at the site of two explosions that hit the Arzouna bridge area at the entrance to Tartous, Syria in this handout picture provided by SANA on September 5, 2016. (SANA/Handout via REUTERS)
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Smoke rises after an airstrike in the rebel-held town of Dael, in Deraa Governorate, Syria September 5, 2016. (REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
(REUTERS)
Free Syrian Army fighters launch a Grad rocket from Halfaya town in Hama province, towards forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad stationed in Zein al-Abidin mountain, Syria September 4, 2016. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
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A Syrian army soldier looks out from a window as smoke rises from the besieged Damascus suburb of Daraya, before rebels and residents start being evacuated under an agreement reached on Thursday between rebels and Syria's army, August 26, 2016. (REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki)
(REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki)
Free Syrian army fighters stand atop of a hill as the moon is seen in the background in the south of Nawa city, in Deraa Governorate, Syria August 16, 2016. (REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
(REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
Men and Syrian Army members inspect a damaged site after a suicide and car bomb attack in south Damascus Shi'ite suburb of Sayeda Zeinab, Syria in this handout picture provided by SANA on June 11, 2016. (SANA/Handout via REUTERS)
(SANA/Handout via REUTERS)
In this picture taken Thursday, April 14, 2016, a Syrian man carries a carpet as walk through a devastated part of the town of Palmyra as families load their belongings onto a bus in the central Homs province, Syria. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian soldiers take up positions during fighting between Government forces and Islamic State group militants in Palmyra, Syria, Sunday, March 27, 2016. Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have driven Islamic State fighters from the historic central town of Palmyra, held by the extremists since May. (SANA via AP)
Rebel fighters from Jaysh al-Sunna chat in Tel Mamo village, in the southern countryside of Aleppo, Syria March 13, 2016. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
(REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
Civil Defence members put out a fire that spread in an oil refinery in the town of Marat Numan in Idlib province, Syria March 10, 2016. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
(REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters carry their weapons while riding on the back of a pick-up truck in Qamishli, Syria, March 11, 2016. (REUTERS/Rodi Said)
(REUTERS/Rodi Said)
A man walks on the rubble of damaged buildings in the rebel-controlled area of Jobar, a suburb of Damascus, Syria March 2, 2016. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
An aid convoy of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent enters the Wafideen Camp, which is controlled by Syrian government forces, near a poster of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad, to deliver aid into the rebel-held besieged Douma neighborhood of Damascus, Syria March 4, 2016. (REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki)
(REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki)
Boys carry boxes of biscuits near rubble of damaged buildings in Aleppo, Syria March 2, 2016. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
(REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
A barber cuts the hair of a customer outside his damaged salon in the rebel held al-Ghariyah al-Gharbiyah town, in Deraa province, Syria February 28, 2016. Picture taken February 28, 2016. (REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
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A boy rides a bicycle past a man sitting on rubble of a damaged house in the rebel held historic southern town of Bosra al-Sham, Deraa, Syria February 23, 2016. (REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
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People stand near a Syrian Arab Red Crescent truck part of an aid convoy in the rebel held besieged town of Kafr Batna, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria February 23, 2016. Picture taken February 23, 2016. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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A boy inspects a damaged house in the rebel held besieged city of Douma, a suburb of Damascus, Syria February 27, 2016. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
Syrian government forces patrol near Aleppo's thermal power plant after they took control of the area on the eastern outskirts of Syria's northern embattled city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters on February 21, 2016 (AFP Photo/George Ourfalian)
(AFP)
Civil defence members search for survivors after airstrikes by pro-Syrian government forces in the rebel held al-Qaterji neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria February 14, 2016. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
(REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
A view shows a damaged clinic after airstrikes by pro-Syrian government forces in the rebel held al-Ghariyah al-Gharbiyah town, in Deraa province, Syria February 11, 2016. Picture taken February 11, 2016. (REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
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A Syrian girl rides a bus towards Turkey to the Bab Al-Salam border crossing, in Darat Izza, Aleppo countryside, Syria February 10, 2016. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
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People walk past damaged buildings in the Douma neighbourhood of Damascus, Syria February 9, 2016. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
Smoke rises over the industrial city in Aleppo, Syria February 4, 2016. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
(REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
Syrians fleeing the northern embattled city of Aleppo wait on February 5, 2016 in Bab-Al Salama, northern Syria, near a Turkish crossing gate (AFP Photo/Bulent Kilic)
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In this photo taken on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, Syrian government troops fire at Islamic State group positions near Mahin, Syria. The nearly five-year Syrian conflict has left at least 250,000 people dead, forced millions to flee the country and given an opening to the Islamic State group to capture territory in Syria and Iraq. It has drawn in U.S. and Russia, as well as regional powers such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran. (Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)
(Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)
In this photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, an aerial image shows what it says is a column of heavy trucks carrying ammunition hit by a Russian air strike near Aleppo, Syria. As government troops close in on Aleppo, some residents are preparing to flee while others hoard food, with some even hanging bread on rooftops to dry it out for storage as the U.N. warns that hundreds of thousands of people in Syria’s largest city could be soon cut off from humanitarian aid. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP)
(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP)
A Free Syrian Army fighter stands on a lookout point in the northern Aleppo countryside, Syria, January 18, 2016. The Sultan Murad brigade, part of the Free Syrian Army, with the help of air strikes carried out by the U.S.-led coalition, took control of the Hur-klas, Ghazal and Yan-yaban villages on the border with Turkey, from Islamic State fighters, in the northern Aleppo countryside, activists said. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
(REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
Jordanian soldiers carry Syrian refugee children stranded in the makeshift camp into Jordanian territory through the Hadalat border crossing, located near the northeastern Jordanian border with Syria and Iraq, near the town of Rewashed, Jordan, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)
(AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)
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Dead Islamic State fighters lie on the ground after Free Syrian Army fighters took control of the area in the northern Aleppo countryside, Syria, January 18, 2016. The Sultan Murad brigade, part of the Free Syrian Army, with the help of air strikes carried out by the U.S.-led coalition, took control of the Hur-klas, Ghazal and Yan-yaban villages on the border with Turkey, from Islamic State fighters, in the northern Aleppo countryside, activists said. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
(REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
In this photo released on Tuesday, Jan 12, 2016, by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syrian government troops and allied militiamen walk inside the key town of Salma in Latakia province, Syria. Syrian troops and allied militiamen are expanding their area of control around an insurgent stronghold in the northwestern province of Lattakia after seizing the key town of Salma a day earlier. (SANA via AP)
(SANA via AP)
A Rafale fighter jet is catapulted for a mission, on France's flagship Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016. The Charles de Gaulle joined the U.S.- led coalition against Islamic State group in November, as France intensified its airstrikes against extremist sites in Syria and Iraq in response to Islamic State group threats against French targets. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
A toddler is held up to the camera in this still image taken from video said to be shot in Madaya on January 5, 2016. Warnings of widespread starvation are growing as pro-government forces besiege an opposition-held town in Syria and winter bites, darkening the already bleak outlook for peace talks the United Nations hopes to convene this month. (Reuters Handout via Social Media Website)
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This picture provided by The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), working alongside the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the United Nations (UN), shows a convoy containing food, medical items, blankets and other materials being delivered to the town of Madaya in Syria, Monday, Jan. 11, 2016. The town, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Damascus, has been blockaded for months by government troops and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Opposition activists and aid groups have reported several deaths from starvation in recent weeks. (ICRC via AP)
An emaciated man in Madaya is seen in this undated picture taken from social media. Warnings of widespread starvation are growing as pro-government forces besiege an opposition-held town in Syria and winter bites, darkening the already bleak outlook for peace talks the United Nations hopes to convene in January. (Handout via Social Media Websites/Syrian Observatory For Human Rights/Reuters)
(Handout via Social Media Websites/Syrian Observatory For Human Rights/Reuters)
Mujahideen Horan brigade fighters, part of the Free Syrian Army, prepare to launch a shell towards forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad located in Deraa, Syria, in what they said was a battle to pressure breaking the siege off Madaya, January 11, 2016. (REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
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Internally displaced people carry buckets of water as they walk during the cold weather in Jerjnaz camp, in Idlib province, Syria, January 5, 2016. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
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Free Syrian Army fighters react as they launch a shell towards forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in what they said was a battle to restore ground that was lost two days ago, west of Sheikh Meskeen near Deraa, Syria January 2, 2016. (REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
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A man carries an injured child amidst rubble near a burning vehicle in a site damaged from what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria December 30, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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Syrian army soldiers and civilians inspect the site of two bomb explosions in the Syrian city of Homs, Syria, in this handout picture provided by SANA on December 28, 2015. (REUTERS/SANA)
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Internally displaced Syrians stand inside their makeshift shelter that is an underground cave in Om al-Seer, southern Idlib countryside, Syria December 26, 2015. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
(REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
Fighters from the Democratic Forces of Syria head towards their positions during what they said was an offensive against Islamic State militants to take control of Tishrin dam, south of Kobani, Syria December 26, 2015. A U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian Kurds and Arab rebel groups, supported by U.S. coalition planes, captured the dam on Saturday from Islamic State, cutting one of its main supply routes across the Euphrates, an alliance spokesman said. Picture taken December 26, 2015. (REUTERS/Rodi Said)
(REUTERS/Rodi Said)
A whirling dervish performs a traditional Sufi dance on the occasion of Prophet Mohammed's birthday in Aleppo, Syria December 25, 2015. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
(REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
A man inspects belongings at a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Sheikh Meskeen near Deraa, Syria December 24, 2015. (REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
(REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
A rescue worker holds an injured boy after what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in Idlib city, Syria December 20, 2015. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
(REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
Men inspect the damage in the Sahat al-Mumathileen (Arabic for the "Yard of Actors"), a square which lies in the western part of Bosra's ancient citadel, after what activists said was an airstrike by forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar al-Assad in the historic Syrian southern town of Bosra al-Sham, Deraa, Syria December 23, 2015. Pictures taken December 23, 2015. (REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
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Residents inspect a damaged site from what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in Nawa city, Deraa, Syria, November 21, 2015. (REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir)
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A man rides a motorbike through a damaged site from what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, Syria November 22, 2015. Picture taken November 22, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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A girl, who was injured by what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, stands at the entrance of her house in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, Syria November 22, 2015. Picture taken November 22, 2015. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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Doctors treat an injured civilian in a field hospital after what activists said was shelling by forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighbourhood of Damascus, Eastern Ghouta, Syria November 19, 2015. A group monitoring the Syrian war said on Thursday negotiations had failed to produce a ceasefire between government forces and rebels in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
A boy fills a container with water in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria November 17, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
Pro-government fighters gather November 12, 2015, on the outskirts of Kweyris military airbase in Aleppo state, Syria, scene of a year-long siege by the Islamic State jihadist group that was recently broken by state forces (AFP Photo/George Ourfalian)
(AFP)
A woman carries a son while tending to the wounds of another son inside a field hospital after what activists said was shelling by forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighbourhood of Damascus, Eastern Ghouta, Syria November 19, 2015. A group monitoring the Syrian war said on Thursday negotiations had failed to produce a ceasefire between government forces and rebels in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
A man holds the hand of a girl as they rush away from a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, Syria November 7, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
A resident rides his bicycle near what activists said was an exploded cluster bomb shell in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus November 5, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
A man carries an injured child as another man gestures at a site hit by missiles fired by Syrian government forces on a busy marketplace in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, Syria October 30, 2015. At least 40 people were killed and about 100 wounded after Syrian government forces fired missiles into the market place in a town near Damascus, a conflict monitor and a local rescue group said on Friday. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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A man covers his nose as he walks along a damaged site hit by missiles fired by Syrian government forces on a busy marketplace in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, Syria October 30, 2015. At least 40 people were killed and about 100 wounded after Syrian government forces fired missiles into the market place in a town near Damascus, a conflict monitor and a local rescue group said on Friday. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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A rainbow is seen as residents inspect a site damage from what activists said was an airstrike by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on the main field hospital in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus October 29, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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US A-10 ground-attack planes, known for their ability to destroy tanks, are being deployed in Syria and Iraq (AFP Photo/)
(USAF/AFP/File)
Residents run though dust in a site damaged by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the rebel-controlled area of Maaret al-Numan town in Idlib province, Syria October 24, 2015. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
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A civil defence member carries an injured baby that survived from under debris at a site hit by what activists said was an airstrike by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in the town of Marshamsha, in the southern countryside of Idlib, Syria October 20, 2015. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
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In this file photo taken on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, shakes hand with Syrian President Bashar Assad as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, looks on in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. When Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his country is ready to aid Syrian rebels fighting Islamic State militants on the ground, rebel commanders scoffed at the notion, pointing out that Russian aircraft were pounding rebel bases in central and northern Syria on daily basis. (Alexei Druzhinin, RIA-Novosti, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
In this photo taken on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015, Syrian Army soldiers rest during fighting in Jobar, Damascus, Syria. Backed by Russian airstrikes, the Syrian army has launched an offensive in central and northwestern regions. (Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)
(Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)
In this photo taken on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015, smoke rises after shelling by the Syrian army in Jobar, Damascus, Syria. Backed by Russian airstrikes, the Syrian army has launched an offensive in central and northwestern regions. (Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)
(Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)
Rebel fighters carry their weapons as they take positions in the town of Kafr Nabudah, in Hama province, Syria, on which forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad are carrying out offensives to take control of the town, October 11, 2015. The Syrian army backed by allied militia has advanced in western Syria after heavy Russian air strikes in areas around the main highway running through major cities, a group monitoring the war said on Sunday. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
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In this photo taken on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015, Syrian soldiers fire repelling an attack in Achan, Hama province, Syria. Russian jets intensified their airstrikes Monday in the central Syrian province as government and allied troops pushed out insurgents from local villages to expand their control of the area, activists and a military statement said. (Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)
In this photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Friday, Oct. 9, 2015, a bomb is released from Russian Su-34 strike fighter in Syria. Activists report intense fighting between insurgents and Syrian troops in the country’s center amid new territorial gains for the government, backed by Russian airstrikes. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
Syrian army personnel load howitzers near the village of Morek, Syria on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015. The Syrian army has launched an offensive against rebels earlier in the week in central and northwestern Syria aided by Russian airstrikes. (Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP)
A man comforts a woman whose relatives were killed, at a site hit by what activists were airstrikes carried out by Russian air force in Maasran town, in the southern countryside of Idlib, Syria October 7, 2015. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
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Civil defence members and civilians search for survivors under the rubble of a site hit by what activists said were cluster bombs dropped by Russian air force in Maasran town, south of Idlib, Syria October 7, 2015. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
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In this photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, a Russian navy ship launches a cruise missile in the Caspian Sea. Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said four Russian navy ships in the Caspian launched 26 cruise missiles at Islamic State targets in Syria.(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
A Russian warship passes through the Bosphorus, in Istanbul, en route to the Mediterranean Sea, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. Russia began launching military operations in Syria on Wednesday, targeting mainly central and northwestern Syria, strategic regions that are the gateway to its long-term ally President Bashar Assad's main strongholds. (AP Photo)
In this photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015 a bomb explosion is seen in Syria. Reacting to criticism that it is targeting opponents of the Syrian government, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Thursday that Russia's airstrikes in Syria are targeting not only Islamic State militants but also other groups. (AP Photo/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)
In this Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015 file image made from video provided by Hadi Al-Abdallah, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, smoke rises after airstrikes in Kafr Nabel of the Idlib province, western Syria. Russian jets carried out a second day of airstrikes in Syria Thursday, but there were conflicting claims about whether they were targeting Islamic State and al-Qaeda militants or trying to shore up the defenses of President Bashar Assad. (Hadi Al-Abdallah via AP video)
(Hadi Al-Abdallah via AP video)
A man stands amidst graves as he visits a cemetery, on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, Syria September 24, 2015. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the haj pilgrimage by slaughtering sheep, goats, camels and cows to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail, on God's command. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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Smoke rises from what activists said was a military position of forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad after clashes with Army of Islam fighters, on the eastern mountains of Qalamoun overlooking the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta of Damascus September 13, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS)
A member of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent carries a girl as they rush away from a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, Syria August 24, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS)
The UN's humanitarian chief fiercely condemns attacks against civilians in Syria (AFP Photo/Fadi Dirani)
(Fadi Dirani/AFP/File)
People attempt to identify bodies after what activists said were air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on a marketplace in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, Syria August 16, 2015. A Syrian government air strike northeast of Damascus killed about 80 people on Saturday, rescue workers and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS)
Men transport a casualty after what activists said were air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on a market place in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, Syria August 16, 2015. A Syrian government air strike northeast of Damascus killed about 80 people on Saturday, rescue workers and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS)
Turkish Air Force fighter planes maneuver on the runway at the Incirlik Air Base, in Adana, southern Turkey, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015. Fighter jets flew above Incirlik air base Thursday a day after the U.S. announced it launched its first airstrikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria from the facility in southern Turkey. (AP Photo/Usame Ari/Cihan News Agency)
This photo provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Ariha Today, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrian citizens walking between the wreckage of destroyed buildings that were damaged after a government forces warplane crashed in the center of the town of Ariha, in the northwestern province of Idlib, Syria, Monday, Aug. 3, 2015. Air raids and the subsequent crash of a Syrian warplane in a residential area in the northwestern town of Ariha on Monday killed and wounded dozens of people, two activist groups said. (Ariha Today via AP)
In this Tuesday, July 21, 2015 photo, Syrian refugee Kutana al-Hamadi, 24, tends to her son Almunzir, 7 months, covered with a mosquito net, whom she claims is suffering from malnutrition, at their tent in an informal tented settlement near the Syrian border on the outskirts of Mafraq, Jordan. "My son is too weak; my body doesn’t produce milk (and) ... we can’t afford buying milk,” says Kutana al-Hamadi. “We survived the barrel bombs in Syria but I’m afraid we won’t survive the lack of health and food.” (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
A man drives a motorcycle near damaged buildings in Old Aleppo's Kadi Askar area, Syria July 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
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A boy cries as he sits on the rubble after a missile fired by Syrian government forces hit a residential area in the Maghayir district of Aleppo, Syria, on July 21, 2015 (AFP Photo/Karam al-Masri)
(AFP)
In this Monday, June 15, 2015 file photo, Syrian refugees gather at the Turkish border as they flee intense fighting in northern Syria between Kurdish fighters and Islamic State militants in Akcakale, southeastern Turkey. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
A Free Syrian Army fighter carries a copy of the Koran as he walks along a street in Jobar, a suburb of Damascus, Syria July 6, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS)
In this image posted on a militant website by the Aleppo branch of the Islamic State group on Friday, July 3, 2015, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, a militant smashes items that the group claims are smuggled archaeological pieces from the historic central town of Palmyra, Syria. An IS statement says the busts were found when the smuggler was stopped at a checkpoint and was later referred to an Islamic which ordered that they be destroyed and the man be whipped. (militant website via AP)
Smoke rises in the Syrian town of Kobani, as pictured from the Turkish side of the border near Suruc, Sanliurfa province, Turkey, An explosion hit the Syrian town of Kobani on Saturday, a witness said, sending plumes of smoke into the air days after the town suffered an attack by Islamic State militants that killed at least 145 people on June 27, 2015. The cause of the explosion, which appeared to come from the centre of the town, was not immediately clear, said a Reuters cameraman who was near the town at the Turkish border. (REUTERS/Stringer)
(REUTERS/Stringer)
A man walks with the aid of a crutch past damaged buildings in the old city of Aleppo June 27, 2015. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
(REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
Syrian refugees are helped into Turkey after breaking the border fence and crossing from Syria in Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey on Sunday, June 14, 2015. The mass displacement of Syrians across the border into Turkey comes as Kurdish fighters and Islamic extremists clashed in nearby city of Tal Abyad. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
Syrian refugees walk around a refugee camp in Suruc, on the Turkey-Syria border, Friday, June 19, 2015. Ahead of World Refugee Day on Saturday, June 20, 2015, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, estimated that a total of 11.6 million people from Syria had been displaced by the conflict by the end of last year, the largest such figure worldwide. Turkey is the world's biggest refugee host with 1.59 million refugees, according to the most recent U.N. figures. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
This undated photo released on June 22, 2015, by a militant website, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, shows one of two mausoleums blowing up by the Islamic State militants, in the historic central town of Palmyra, Syria. A Syrian official says the Islamic State group has destroyed two mausoleums in the historic central town of Palmyra. Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of the Antiquities and Museums Department in Damascus, tells The Associated Press that one of the tombs belongs to Mohammad Bin Ali, a descendant of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad’s cousin Imam Ali. (The website of Islamic State militants via AP)
In this undated photo released on June 22, 2015, by a militant website, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, Islamic State militants carry plastic containers full of explosives as they prepare to blow up mausoleums, in the historic central town of Palmyra, Syria. A Syrian official says the Islamic State group has destroyed two mausoleums in the historic central town of Palmyra. Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of the Antiquities and Museums Department in Damascus, tells The Associated Press that one of the tombs belongs to Mohammad Bin Ali, a descendant of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad’s cousin Imam Ali. (The website of Islamic State militants via AP)
UNESCO describes Syria's Palmyra as a heritage site of "outstanding universal value" (AFP Photo/Joseph Eid)
(AFP/File)
Turkish military use water cannon to stop Syrian refugees as they wait behind the border fences to cross into Turkey, near Akcakale in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, June 10, 2015. (REUTERS/Osman Orsal)
(REUTERS/Osman Orsal)
Smoke rises from what activists said was due to shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad on the outskirts of Damascus city in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta May 21, 2015. (REUTERS/Diaa Al-Din)
(REUTERS)
Syrian refugees wait for transportation after crossing into Turkey from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad, near Akcakale in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, June 10, 2015. Thousands of people crossed from Syria into Turkey on Wednesday to flee a battle pitting Islamist insurgents against Kurdish and opposition forces for the Syrian border town of Tel Abyad. (REUTERS/Osman Orsal)
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Men carry a baby that survived what activists said was barrel bombs dropped by forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in the old city of Aleppo June 7, 2015. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
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Residents inspect a site hit by what activists said was a barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Maaret al-Naaman town in Idlib province June 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
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A member of al Qaeda's Nusra Front takes down a picture of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the northwestern city of Ariha, after a coalition of insurgent groups seized the area in Idlib province May 29, 2015. The Syrian army has pulled back from the northwestern city of Ariha after a coalition of insurgent groups seized the last city in Idlib province in northwestern Syria near the Turkish border that was still held by the government. A coalition of rebel groups called Jaish al Fateh, or Conquest Army, said it had taken over the city. Syria's al Qaeda offshoot Nusra Front is a major part of the coalition. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
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Members of al Qaeda's Nusra Front carry their weapons as they move towards their positions during an offensive to take control of the northwestern city of Ariha from forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Idlib province May 28, 2015. The Syrian army has pulled back from the northwestern city of Ariha after a coalition of insurgent groups seized the last city in Idlib province in northwestern Syria near the Turkish border that was still held by the government. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
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Residents inspect a site hit by what activists said were barrel bombs thrown by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad, in the Palestinian Yarmouk refugee camp, southern outskirts of Damascus May 26, 2015. (REUTERS/Moayad Zaghmou)
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A boy walks along an agriculture field in Maarshmarin village in Idlib countryside May 24, 2015. Farmers in Idlib countryside said that forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad are targeting their agriculture lands to destroy their crop. Picture taken May 24, 2015. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
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Smoke rises from buildings near the national hospital, after what activists said was shelling by warplanes loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the town of Jisr al-Shughour, Idlib province May 22, 2015. Syrian soldiers holed up at the hospital besieged by insurgents in northwestern Syria were freed in a military operation on Friday, state TV reported. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
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A Free Syrian Army fighter fires a weapon inside a damaged building during clashes with forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at the frontline in Handarat area, north of Aleppo May 21, 2015. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
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Lebanon's Hezbollah fighters carry their weapons as they walk in Khashaat, in the Qalamoun region after they advanced in the area May 15, 2015. When Lebanon's Hezbollah first joined Syria's war on the side of President Bashar al-Assad, its role was a closely guarded secret. Today, as Hezbollah plants its flag in land won from rebels north of Damascus, its role could hardly be more public. (REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir)
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Smoke rises after what activists said was due to airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Erbeen in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta May 17, 2015. (REUTERS/Yaseen Al-Bushy)
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Civilians inspect a damaged site after what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Damascus suburb of Ain Tarma May 14, 2015. (REUTERS/Stringer)
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A man holds an injured boy after what activists said was a barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and hit a school and a residential building in Seif al-Dawla neighborhood of Aleppo May 3, 2015. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
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Fighters from 'the First Regiment' and 'al-Safwa Brigades', part of the Free Syrian Army, prepare their weapons during clashes with forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the old city of Aleppo April 30, 2015. Rebel fighters said on Friday that they took control of Bashir Basha mosque after heavy clashes with government forces in the old city of Aleppo. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
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A family mourns the loss of their relatives to what activists say was a barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Aleppo's al-Fardous district April 29, 2015. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
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Rebel fighters of 'Abu Amara Brigades' carry their weapons as they run to take cover during clashes with forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on the frontline of Aleppo's al-Ezaa neighbourhood April 28, 2015. (REUTERS/Rami Zayat)
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A rebel fighter rides a motorbike along a road in Qarmeed camp, as smoke rises in the background after Islamist rebel fighters took control of the area from forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, April 27, 2015. A coalition of Islamist rebels seized the army base in northwestern Syria at dawn on Monday after a suicide bomber from al Qaeda's Nusra Front drove a truck packed with explosives into the compound and blew it up. The capture, reported by a rebel commander and social media videos showing militants inside the base, brought the coalition closer to seizing most of Idlib province and moving toward Latakia, the ancestral home of Assad. (REUTERS/Abdalghne Karoof)
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Free Syrian Army fighters carry their weapons during clashes with forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar Al-Assad in Old Aleppo, April 26, 2015. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
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Residents help each other amid dust in a damaged site after what activists said was due to air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar Al-Assad on Jisr al-Shughour town after rebels took control of the area April 25, 2015. Islamist insurgents including al-Qaeda's wing in Syria Nusra Front seized the strategic northwestern Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughour on Saturday, for the first time in the four year conflict. Syrian state media said the army had redeployed to the town's surroundings "to avoid civilian casualties". Opposition fighters and the Syrian Observatory for Human rights said that the town was now totally controlled by the insurgents. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
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A Nusra Front fighter carries a shell near a Nusra Front flag on his weapon in Jisr al-Shughour town, after rebels took control of the area April 25, 2015. Islamist insurgents including al-Qaeda's wing in Syria Nusra Front seized the strategic northwestern Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughour on Saturday, for the first time in the four year conflict. Syrian state media said the army had redeployed to the town's surroundings "to avoid civilian casualties". Opposition fighters and the Syrian Observatory for Human rights said that the town was now totally controlled by the insurgents. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)
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A man runs with an injured child at a damaged site after what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar al-Assad on Al-Dubeit neighborhood in Idlib city, after rebels took control of the area April 5, 2015. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdallah)
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Free Syrian Army fighters prepare to fire a mortar shell towards what they said was a checkpoint manned by forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on the Al-Ghab plain in the Hama countryside April 22, 2015. Picture taken April 22. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
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An injured boy waits inside a field hospital after what activists said were airstrikes and shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus April 22, 2015. (REUTERS/Mohammed Badra)
(REUTERS/Mohammed Badra)
Free Syrian Army fighters fire shells towards forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad in Bosra Al-Sham, Daraa province, March 21, 2015 . (REUTERS/Wsam Almokdad)
(REUTERS/Wsam Almokdad)
A aerial view shows a damaged mosque and surrounding buildings in the Al-Maysar neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria, April 23, 2015. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
(REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
Rebel fighters walk through the rubble following an alleged bombing by Islamic State group in Marea, Syria, on April 8, 2015 (AFP Photo/Zein al-Rifai)
(AMC/AFP/File)
In this image made from video posted on a militant social media account affiliated with the Islamic State group late Saturday, April 11, 2015, purports to show militants destroying the ancient Iraqi Assyrian city of Nimrud, a site dating back to the 13th century B.C., near the militant-held city of Mosul, Iraq. The destruction at Nimrud, follows other attacks on antiquity carried out by the group now holding a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in its self-declared caliphate. The attacks have horrified archaeologists and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who last month called the destruction at Nimrud "a war crime."(militant video via AP)
Palestinian refugees, who fled the violence in Syria's Yarmuk refugee camp, take part in a demonstration on April 10, 2015 in the refugee camp of Ain Al-Helweh, near Sidon, Lebanon, in protest against the fighting in the Yarmuk camp (AFP Photo/Mahmoud Zayyat)
(AFP/File)
Rebel fighters from the Ahrar al-Sham Islamic Movement sit inside a BMP armoured vehicle during what they said was an offensive to take the northwestern city of Idlib March 24, 2015. An alliance of Syrian Islamist rebels including al Qaeda's official wing said they had launched an offensive on Tuesday to take the northwestern city of Idlib, which is close to the main strategic highway linking Damascus to Aleppo. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
(REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
Rebel fighters from Suqour al-Sham Brigade sit with their weapons inside a trench during clashes with forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar al-Assad as they flee Idlib city, after rebel fighters took control of the area, on Al-Mastumah hill March 28, 2015. (REUTERS/Mohamad Bayoush)
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A boy carries his belongings at a site hit by what activists said was a barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo's al-Fardous district April 2, 2015. (REUTERS/Rami Zayat)
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A rebel fighter prepares to fire a mortar shell towards what they said was a checkpoint for forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar al-Assad near Mork town April 3, 2015. (REUTERS/Mohamad Bayoush)
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A general view shows a damaged street with sandbags used as barriers in Aleppo's Saif al-Dawla district March 6, 2015. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
(REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
Boys play with a BB gun in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus March 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
A man reacts after rescuers pulled the dead body of his relative from under the rubble in an area where activists said was hit by airstrikes from forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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A boy stands on rubble as people try to put out a fire after what activists said were airstrikes followed by shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/ Mohammed Badra)
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Men remove rubble as they search for survivors after what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus February 9, 2015.(REUTERS/ Bassam Khabieh)
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A medic and civilians carry a casualty after what activists said were airstrikes followed by shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, February 9, 2015. REUTERS/ Mohammed Badra)
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A man places his left ear on rubble as he tries to listen for survivors trapped under the rubble of a building damaged by what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/ Bassam Khabieh)
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People try to put out a fire after what activists said were airstrikes followed by shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/ Mohammed Badra)
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An injured civilian sits inside a shelter as he waits to receive medical assistance after what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, February 9, 2015. (REUTERS/ Mohammed Badra)
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A rebel fighter of al-Jabha al-Shamiya (the Shamiya Front) moves through a hole in a wall inside a house north of Handarat camp in Aleppo, after the group said they took control of the area from forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, February 8, 2015. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
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Girls walk down the stairs of a building damaged by what activists said were recent airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, February 8, 2015. (REUTERS/Mohammed Badra)
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An injured girl lies in a field hospital after what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighbourhood of Damascus, February 8, 2015. (REUTERS/Mohammed Badra)
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Rebel fighters of al-Jabha al-Shamiya (the Shamiya Front) run with their weapons to avoid snipers, north of Handarat camp in Aleppo, after the group said they took control of the area from forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, February 8, 2015. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
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A man removes rubble inside a house that was damaged by what activists said were recent airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, February 8, 2015. (REUTERS/Mohammed Badra)
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Blood covers the hands of an injured boy lying in a field hospital after what activists said were air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighbourhood of Damascus February 6, 2015. Syrian air force strikes killed 82 people in an opposition district outside Damascus following rocket attacks by rebels that hit the government-controlled center of the capital, a monitoring group said on Friday. (REUTERS/ Mohammed Badra)
(REUTERS/ Mohammed Badra)
An injured girl receives medical assistance in a field hospital after what activists said were at least 20 air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighbourhood of Damascus February 5, 2015. On Thursday the Syrian air force struck areas northeast of the capital including Douma city and Arbin town, killing 12 and wounding around 100, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. (REUTERS/ Mohammed Badra)
(Reuters)
A rebel fighter takes position as he aims his weapon behind piled cement blocks at Sheikh Najjar frontline against forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo February 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
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Schoolchildren stand on debris and carry balloons as they are gathering to express solidarity ahead of the International Childhood Cancer Day in Karm al-Jabal neighbourhood of Aleppo February 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
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A man gives medical assistance to an injured man as two wounded children wait nearby at a field hospital after what activists said was an air strike by forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Duma neighbourhood of Damascus, February 2, 2015. (REUTERS/ Mohammed Badra)
(REUTERS/ Mohammed Badra)
Residents react and gesture to the sky, during what activists said were seven air-strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Duma in Eastern Al-Ghouta, near Damascus, February 2, 2015. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
Fighters from the Suqour al-Sham Brigade, which is part of the Free Syrian Army, gesture to their brigade's tank during what activists said were clashes with forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in the al-Arbaeen mountain area of western Idlib January 30, 2015. (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
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A warplane loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad fires rockets during an air strike in eastern Al-Ghouta, near Damascus January 25, 2015. Islamist fighters struck the Syrian capital with at least 38 rockets on Sunday, killing seven people, a monitoring group said, in one of heaviest attacks on Damascus in over a year. State media confirmed the attack and said at least four people were killed. It said the army was retaliating. The Saudi-backed Islam Army, based in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus, had warned earlier that it would hit back against an air strike last week in Ghouta in which more than 40 people were killed. (REUTERS/Diaa Al-Din)
(REUTERS)
Smoke rises after what activists said was an airstrike by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in eastern Al-Ghouta, near Damascus January 25, 2015. Islamist fighters struck the Syrian capital with at least 38 rockets on Sunday, killing seven people, a monitoring group said, in one of heaviest attacks on Damascus in over a year. State media confirmed the attack and said at least four people were killed. It said the army was retaliating. The Saudi-backed Islam Army, based in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus, had warned earlier that it would hit back against an air strike last week in Ghouta in which more than 40 people were killed. (REUTERS/Diaa Al-Din)
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Free Syrian Army fighters prepare a mortar launcher before firing towards forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar Al-Assad located in Al-Hamamiyat village, from the orchards of Kafar Zita in Hama countryside January 22, 2015. (REUTERS/Mohamad Bayoush)
(Reuters)
A rebel fighter fires a weapon against forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at the Karm al-Tarab frontline in Aleppo October 30, 2014. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
(Reuters)
Civilians carry belongings recovered from a site hit by what activists said was a missile fired by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in al-Kalaseh neighborhood of Aleppo October 28, 2014. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
(Reuters)
In this photo taken during a government-organised tour for the media, Syrian soldiers shout pro-Syrian President Bashar Assad slogans as they stand on their tank which is placed on flatbed trucks heading out of the city Edleb, Syria, after a weeklong military assault that the government said was aimed at rooting out "terrorists," on Wednesday Aug. 10, 2011. The streets of Hama were deserted on Wednesday and the city in central Syria that has come to symbolize defiance against the regime appeared to be under full government control after last week's brutal crackdown on protesters. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)
Rebel fighters take up positions on the frontline against forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Handarat area, north of Aleppo October 20, 2014. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
(Reuters)
Men walk on the rubble of damaged buildings at a site hit by what activists said were air strikes by forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Duma neighbourhood of Damascus October 20, 2014. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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A man holds a child who survived what activists said were air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, inside a field hospital in Douma, eastern al-Ghouta, near Damascus October 17, 2014. (REUTERS/Badra Mamet)
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A general view shows damage inside Shahba Mall, one of the largest commercial shopping centres in Syria, that was targeted by what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in northern Aleppo countryside October 16, 2014. Picture taken October 16. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
(Reuters)
Civil Defence members and civilians try to pull out a body from under the rubble at a site hit by what activists said was a barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Sheikh Khodr area in Aleppo September 30, 2014. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
(Reuters)
A man walks on rubble of damaged buildings at a site hit by what activists was a barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at Qadi Askar district of Aleppo September 30, 2014. (REUTERS/Mahmoud Hebbo)
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A man holds children as they walk away from a site hit by what activists was a barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at Qadi Askar district of Aleppo September 30, 2014. (REUTERS/Mahmoud Hebbo)
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A child walks on the rubble of collapsed buildings at a site hit by what activists said were barrel bombs dropped by forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Aleppo's al-Sakhour district, September 26, 2014. (REUTERS/Hosam Katan)
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Smoke rises from damaged buildings after forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad took control of Adra al-Omalia from rebel fighters September 25, 2014. Syrian government forces overran rebels in the town northeast of Damascus on Thursday, strengthening al-Assad's grip on territory around the capital. The town - Adra al-Omalia - is about 30 km (19 miles) from central Damascus but far from parts of Syria where the United States has launched air strikes against Islamic State militants. Syrian state TV said the armed forces had "imposed their control over the city of Adra al-Omalia and eliminated a number of terrorists." Troops were combing the area and clearing out explosives planted by militants, it added. Picture taken during a tour organized by the government. (REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki)
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A soldier loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad smokes while resting on a tank in Adra al-Omalia, after taking control of the area from rebel fighters September 25, 2014. Syrian government forces overran rebels in the town northeast of Damascus on Thursday, strengthening al-Assad's grip on territory around the capital. The town - Adra al-Omalia - is about 30 km (19 miles) from central Damascus but far from parts of Syria where the United States has launched air strikes against Islamic State militants. Syrian state TV said the armed forces had "imposed their control over the city of Adra al-Omalia and eliminated a number of terrorists." Troops were combing the area and clearing out explosives planted by militants, it added. Picture taken during a tour organized by the government. (REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki )
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Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad stand next to damaged buildings in Adra al-Omalia, after taking control of the area from rebel fighters September 25, 2014. Syrian government forces overran rebels in the town northeast of Damascus on Thursday, strengthening al-Assad's grip on territory around the capital. The town - Adra al-Omalia - is about 30 km (19 miles) from central Damascus but far from parts of Syria where the United States has launched air strikes against Islamic State militants. Syrian state TV said the armed forces had "imposed their control over the city of Adra al-Omalia and eliminated a number of terrorists." Troops were combing the area and clearing out explosives planted by militants, it added. Picture taken during a tour organized by the government. (REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki)
(REUTERS)
A picture lies amid rubble after what activists say were four air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Douma, eastern al-Ghouta, near Damascus September 24, 2014. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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A man carries an injured man through damage after what activists say were four air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Douma, eastern al-Ghouta, near Damascus September 24, 2014. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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An injured man gestures amid rubble after what activists say were four air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Douma, eastern al-Ghouta, near Damascus September 24, 2014. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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Residents inspect a damaged site after what activists say were four air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Douma, eastern al-Ghouta, near Damascus September 24, 2014. (REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
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Assad forces continue battle with Syrian rebels
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A man runs with a stretcher in a damaged site after airstrikes on the rebel held al-Qaterji neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria on Sept. 21, 2016. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
(REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)
The Syrian civil war, which grew out of an uprising against Assad, has killed more than 250,000 people since March 2011. About half the country's prewar population of 23 million has been displaced, including more than 4 million who have fled Syria to other countries in the Middle East and Europe. Tactics such as encircling populated areas have caused untold cases of starvation, malnutrition and chronic illness. The U.N. refugee agency says Syria is the leading source of refugees, pushing Afghanistan — which had held that status for more than 30 years — down to second place.
The war has defied all attempts for a diplomatic solution. Unimaginable suffering has unfolded while the world stands witness. The emergence and spread of the violent Islamic State group as the most potent opposition to Assad has led to renewed diplomatic activity to try and end the war. (AP/Reuters)
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