Peace envoy seeks Iranian help for Syria ceasefire

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An Armenian plane was forced to land in the eastern Turkish city of Erzurum on Monday and was travelling from Armenia to the Syrian city of Aleppo, an official from the Turkish prime minister's office said.

The official said the plane was carrying humanitarian aid and a Foreign Ministry official said it would be allowed to continue on its journey if nothing else was found.

Turkey has given the all clear for an Armenian plane to continue on its journey to the Syrian city of Aleppo after ordering it to land in eastern Turkey so its cargo of humanitarian aid could be searched, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said on Monday.

Ankara has stepped up efforts to prevent its air space being used to supply the Syrian military and forced down a Syrian airliner traveling from Moscow last Wednesday, saying it was carrying Russian munitions destined for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's military.

International peace envoy Akhdar Ibrahimi appealed to Iran to help arrange a ceasefire in Syria during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha as rebels and government forces fought street by street and village by village on Monday.

Irahimi made the request in talks with Iranian leaders on Sunday in Tehran, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's closest regional ally in his campaign to crush a 19-month-old uprising.

This as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied information from the Human Rights Watch organization that Syrian authorities used Russian-made cluster bombs against rebels.

“There is no confirmation to this… There are loads of weapons in this region, including in Syria and other countries of the region, and arms are supplied there in large quantities and illegally,” Lavrov told RIA Novosti news agency.

Meanwhile, the number of Syrian refugees housed in camps in Turkey has reportedly exceeded 100,000 according to the Turkish disaster management agency.

On the other hand, the European Union imposed new sanctions on the Syrian Regime, by freezing the assets of two firms and 28 individuals who support the Syrian President Bashar Assad and prevent giving them visas to the Union’s states.

On the field

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Monday that 8 Syrian soldiers were killed in Aleppo as clashes continue in Idlib Army camp.

For its turn, the Syrian Television announced that several districts in Aleppo were cleansed and showed pictures of Al-Amawi Mosquethat was affected due to the clashes.

A presidential decree was issued to restore and maintain the archeological mosque.

REUTER/LBCI

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