The authenticity of the photograph in this tweet has not been verified, but there have been other reports of IS disguising its military hardware in order to avoid targeting in air strikes.
Turkey Drops Threat To Boycott Syria Talks
Turkey has dropped a threat to boycott the Syria peace talks in Geneva, Today's Zaman reports, citing a senior Turkish official as saying that Turkey will be represented at the talks at the highest level.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu threatened late yesterday that Turkey would boycott the talks, due to start Jan. 29, if the Syrian Kurdish PYD were invited to participate as part of the opposition.
The PYD has not received an invitation to the talks, it emerged today.
18 Besieged Areas In Syria, 500,000 Cut Off From Food
The Saudi-backed Syrian opposition is demanding that blockades on besieged areas be lifted as a precondition for peace talks to begin on Jan. 29.
The World Food Programme just tweeted this infographic about the situation in Syria regarding sieges. There are 18 besieged areas -- not all by the Syrian government, some are blockaded by rebels -- affecting some 500,000 people.
18 Besieged Areas In Syria, 500,000 Cut Off From Food
The Saudi-backed Syrian opposition is demanding that blockades on besieged areas be lifted as a precondition for peace talks to begin on Jan. 29.
The World Food Programme just tweeted this infographic about the situation in Syria regarding sieges. There are 18 besieged areas -- not all by the Syrian government, some are blockaded by rebels -- affecting some 500,000 people.
Only Syrians Invited To Peace Talks: UN
After Turkey announced that it was lifting its threat to boycott the Syria peace talks in Geneva, the United Nations announced that, in fact, only Syrians have been invited to participate, France 24 reports.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned late Jan. 26 that Turkey would boycott the talks if the Syrian Kurdish PYD was invited. This afternoon, a senior Turkish official announced that Turkey was dropping its threat because the PYD has not been invited.
France 24 points out, however, that Khawla Mattar, a spokesman for the UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, has said that there is "no plan to invite" non-Syrians to the talks.
Tunisia Breaks Up 'Militant Cell' Connected To IS
Tunisia says that it has disrupted a cell recruiting militants for the IS group in Libya and Syria, Reuters reports.
"Our special forces counterterrorism unit dismantled a cell which included nine extremists in Bizerte who were actively recruiting young people to send them into areas of trouble," the interior ministry said.
At Least 10 Killed In 3 Suicide Attacks In NE Nigeria
AFP has more on the earlier reports of suicide bombings in north eastern Nigeria.
At least 10 people were killed when three suicide bombers blew themselves up in the town of Chibok, a town elder has told AFP.
Ayuba Chibok says that the blasts happened at around noon local time when the town was full of traders for the weekly market. The blasts "bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram," AFP report.
British Jets Carry Out 36 Attacks Against IS In Syria, Iraq: Ministry
British war planes have carried out 36 attacks against IS targets in Syria and Iraq over the past week, the UK's Ministry of Defense has said.
The raids hit IS near Fallujah, Haditha, Ramadi, Habbaniyah and Mosul in Iraq, and Raqqa in Syria.
In Syria, Tornado jets used Brimstone missiles on Jan. 24 to attack three IS mobile cranes being used by IS to repair damage from coalition air strikes.
The Ministry of Defense released this video of the Jan. 24 attack:
Dutch To Discuss Joining Syria Air Strikes: AFP
The Dutch cabinet is to discuss a request from the United States to join U.S.-led coalition strikes against the IS group in Syria within "the coming days," Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders has said.
Putin aide: Syrian vote must include refugees: AP
Syrian refugees should be allowed to vote in their country's future elections, Russian Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev has told AP.
Patrushev said that demands for the immediate departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were counterproductive.
"Let's remember the sad experience of Iraq and Libya," Patrushev told the AP in a written reply to questions Tuesday -- his first remarks ever to a foreign news organization. "Have they succeeded in stabilizing the situation there following a foreign intervention and physical removal of those countries' leaders?"