Dozens Killed in Syrian Air Force Strike on Islamic State Village

Dozens were killed on Tuesday by a Syrian air force strike on a village held by the Islamic State in Syria, Reuters reports.

Activists and witnesses claim the target of the strike was a main livestock market in Khansa, south of the Kurdish-held city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria.

“The raids hit part of the market where traders from several towns and villages in the area traditionally bring their cattle to trade and sell livestock,” said resident Khair al-Obeidi. According to the LCC, an opposition network, at least 77 people died as a result of the strike. The Syrian Observatory claimed the toll was 27, but indicated the number was likely to rise because many remained in critical condition.

“Some of the bodies were so mutilated by the strikes that people couldn’t tell the human from the animal remains,” said the director, Rami Abdul Rahman.

Syrian government officials have not commented on the incident. Its military campaign against the Islamic State is being conducted separately from U.S.-led coalition strikes on the group.

Russian Moderator Sets Modest Goals Ahead of Moscow Peace Talks

“A Russian moderator for next week’s talks between the Syrian government and a group of opposition figures set out modest goals for the Moscow meeting, saying he would consider it a success if the sides work together and agree to meet again,” Reuters reports.

Russia has been trying to re-launch peace talks on January 26-29 that would include meetings between the regime and the opposition.

Several prominent Syrian opposition members, including the newly elected head of Syria’s opposition in exile, the National Coalition, have refused to take part.

“If you are a Syrian patriot, why would you not want to use even the slightest possibility to come and talk … even if you are critical of Russia’s position?” Vitaly Naumkin, the Russian moderator, told a news conference. Previous peace talks held in Geneva almost a year ago failed to produce results or ongoing momentum. Opposition leaders demanded Assad’s departure, while the regime insisted that the focus of the negotiation should be on countering “terrorism,” its term for armed resistance to its rule.

According to Naumkin, the final list of attendees will only be clear following an opposition meeting planned later this week in Cairo. He added that Russian government officials were not scheduled to participate in the talks. “U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura or his deputy could take part as monitors if they so agree with the Russian Foreign Ministry.”

Turkey’s Border with Syria No Barrier for Jihadists

AFP reports on Turkey’s “porous” border as an entry point for Jihadists seeking to enter Syria, following the reports this month that the wife of one of the suspected gunmen behind attacks in Paris was in Turkey five days before the killings and crossed into Syria after the attack.

The incident brought new attention to Turkey’s border crossing with Syria as a transit point for foreign fighters.

Turkish officials insisted that they were not to blame for allowing her to enter and then leave Turkey without being detained, saying that European intelligence agencies hadn’t shared her name with Turkish authorities.

Over the past few months Turkey has increased intelligence sharing with Europe, but has said that partnerships must be further strengthened to counter a threat Ankara can’t handle alone.

“This is a problem that we cannot fight alone,” a Turkish government official told AFP. “There are people in IS ranks not just from Turkey, but from more than 80 countries,” he added.

Turkey has come under pressure by Western officials to do more to prevent foreign fighters from crossing its 900-km-long border with Syria, who often join the Islamic State and other jihadist groups.

“The Syrian border is still open, whatever they say. Provided you’re spending a few dollars, everyone can cross it in both directions without any problem,” a Western diplomat told AFP.

According to a recent article by the Daily Telegraph, “hundreds of al-Qaida recruits are being kept in safe houses in southern Turkey, before being smuggled over the border to wage ‘jihad’ in Syria.”

Recommended Reads:

• Atlantic Council: Moscow’s Syria Talks: Diplomacy that Destroys Hopes for Peace
• Reuters: For Islamic State, Wheat Season Sows Seeds of Discontent
• TIME: Meet the Americans on The Front Lines in the Fight Against ISIS
• Al Arabiya: ISIS Leader Baghdadi Injured, Stays in Syria
• Daily Star: Syria PM Defends Economic Policy after Price Hikes