Bombing continues across Idlib, Ibrahimi in Damascus on Thursday

A day after announcing his intention of heading for Syria on Thursday,  international Special Envoy to Syria Akhdar Ibrahimi may have to arrive amid continuing battles and bombings, especially in the city of Aleppo.               

In this context, the Syrian Observatory announced the death of 18 Syrian soldiers in a car bomb attack in Idlib, northwest of the country.              

For its part, SANA agency reported, that the army halted terrorist groups that were trying to enter the city of Aleppo, killing a large number of them and wounding others.              


Positions:                

Jordan's King Abdullah II warned of potential disintegration in Syria which may lead to  sectarian violence spilling over   to neighboring countries with a similar sectarian composition. The king called, in an interview with Agence France-Presse, to find a "formula for the political transition process that will comprise all components of the Syrian society, including Alawites.                      

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he may endorse Iran’s proposal to include his country in the group of counties harbored by the Egyptian initiative, which also includes Saudi Arabia and Turkey.               

On the humanitarian issue, hundreds of refugees remain stranded on the Syrian side of the border, though nearly five hundred Syrian refugees were able to pass into Turkey according to the Reuters news agency quoting Turkish officials.