Heavy clashes erupted on March 5 between Syrian regime forces and rebels near an intelligence headquarters the opposition had tried to seize in a spectacular attack, a monitor and security source said. “There are very heavy battles between regime forces and (rebel) fighters in the area of yesterday’s attack, with …

Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad is not a “credible” partner in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), French President Francois Hollande said March 5 after meeting Syria’s exiled opposition chief. Hollande said in a statement after meeting Khaled Khoja that Assad “is the main cause of his people’s suffering, …

Warplanes from Libya’s internationally recognised government carried out air strikes on a Tripoli airport, a security official said on Thursday, just hours before United Nations-backed peace talks were due to start in Morocco. The jets hit an open area near the runway at Maitiga airport but caused no major damage …