Rebels resist assault amid bid to resume peace talks

BRUSSELS: Syrian rebels said on Tuesday they had repelled an army offensive in southern Aleppo as Russian and Syrian warplanes pounded residential areas, while nations

BRUSSELS: Syrian rebels said on Tuesday they had repelled an army offensive in southern Aleppo as Russian and Syrian warplanes pounded residential areas, while nations spoke of rebuilding a peace process the US broke off this week.

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Secretary of State John Kerry, who said US was suspending talks with Moscow due to Russia’s role in the offensive, said peace efforts must carry on.

Turkey, long one of the main foes of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but which has lately repaired its damaged ties with his ally Russia, said it planned to make a proposal to Washington and Moscow to resurrect a ceasefire that collapsed last month. But on the ground there was no sign of peace. Assad’s government, with Russian air support and Iranian ground forces, had launched the assault on Aleppo a week into a truce.