Russia is sending two planes to Beirut to evacuate more than 100 of its citizens from Syria, Interfax quoted the Emergencies Ministry's spokeswoman Irina Rossius as saying on Monday.
"On orders from the leadership of the Russian Federation, the Emergencies Ministry is sending two airplanes to Beirut so that all Russians who want can leave Syria," Rossius said.
"It is planned that more that 100 Russians will leave Syria (on these planes)," she said.
Earlier in the day, Syrian opposition leaders meeting in Istanbul have postponed forming a transitional government, in a setback for efforts to fill a power vacuum in the war-torn country.
The talks launched on Saturday were the opposition's second bid to form a government, with its credibility at stake as the country slides into sectarian conflict between majority Sunni Muslims and President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite sect.
The 70-member coalition, dominated by Islamists and their allies, was formed with Western and Gulf backing in Qatar at the beginning of December. Power struggles among its members have undermined efforts to agree a transitional government.
A five-member committee would to put forward proposals on a government to the coalition within 10 days, it said on Monday.
The committee would "consult opposition forces and the Free Syrian Army and friendly states to get their opinion about forming the government and the extent to which they can honor the necessary commitments for its financial and political viability," the coalition said in a statement.
Sources at the negotiations in Istanbul said on Sunday that Syrian National Coalition President Moaz Alkhatib had flown to Qatar to secure promises of financial aid for a transitional government in rebel-held areas.
The talks had been hit by disagreement over whether a transitional government could survive when Alkhatib left in the middle of deliberations, the sources said.
On another note, NATO
announced that the German surface-to-air Patriot missiles which are supposed to be
deployed upon a decision from NATO forces in Turkey arrived to a port in
southern Turkey on Monday.
On the
field
Syrian warplanes raided areas surrounding Damascus on
Monday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights while power gradually
began to be restored to the capital after a total blackout overnight Sunday to
Monday.
State news agency SANA quoted the Minister
of Electricity Imad Khamis as saying terrorists - a term the government uses
for rebels - had attacked a main electricity line, causing the outage.
The Observatory reported that warplanes flew over East Ghouta
which is being heavily shelled, while fierce clashes erupted in the outskirts
of the towns of Akraba and Zamalka.
In turn, Al Watan Syrian newspaper reported that in the
past 48 hours, pro-regime troops killed a number of gunmen in the areas surrounding
Daraya, Maadamiyat al-Sham, Basatin Douma and Harasta. According to the Daily,
the troops are due to reveal “harsh” surprises for all those who are still
determined to fight in Damascus Reef.
This as Central Damascus is increasingly
feeling the impact of a slow advance by rebel fighters who control a crescent
of suburbs to the east and south of the city.
The price of basic commodities
has soared and fuel shortages are affecting services.
REUTERS