US warns Assad over use of chemical weapons as Russian jets bomb rebels

THE United States and its allies will respond “swiftly and appropriately” if Syria’s President Bashar al-assad uses chemical weapons again, the White House said yesterday.

The warning was issued after Russian jets struck the opposition-held city of Idlib with a barrage of air strikes hours after President Donald Trump said such a move would be a “grave mistake”.

The White House said in its state- ment that it was closely monitoring developments in Idlib region, where the Syrian government is expected to mount an offensive that could lead to a humanitarian disaster.

Dozens of strikes were reported in 24 locations in the opposition-held north-western province of Idlib, in what appeared to be the opening salvo of the offensive.

Israeli missile strikes hit Iranian military positions in the Syrian provinces of Hama and Tartus last night, the British-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, although at least nine civilians were reported to have been killed.

SANA, Syria’s state news agency, said its air defence systems downed several missiles launched from Israeli planes.

Syrian government forces have for weeks been massing around Idlib in preparation for an assault on the lastremaining opposition stronghold.

“The government plan was to give the maximum possible chance for a reconciliation, but unfortunately there was no progress in this regards. The radicals are in control in Idlib,” a Syrian government official said. “This looks like preliminary bombardment before a major land operation.”

Mr Trump on Monday warned the Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian allies against “recklessly” attacking Idlib. In a tweet he said it would be “a grave humanitarian mistake” in which hundreds of thousands of people could be killed.

Washington has created a list of chemical weapons facilities that could be struck if Mr Trump decided to order a new round of punitive strikes.

Nicholas Heras, of the Centre for New American Security, said Russia was sending a message to Mr Trump “that he can’t tell Assad to back off ”.

Some three million people – half of them displaced – live in the province and it is expected an offensive there could become the deadliest in the seven-year war. UN officials say as many as 800,000 people could be displaced and that the number of people in need of aid could increase dramatically.

Idlib is the only major territory the rebels still control, meaning those who do not wish to surrender have nowhere left to go. The presidents of Turkey, Russia and fellow regime ally Iran are to hold a summit in Tehran on Friday. ♦the founder of the Haqqani network who was feted by America as an antisoviet Afghan resistance hero in the Eighties, only to become one of its most wanted enemies, has died. Jalaluddin Haqqani died after years of ill health which have seen control of his group pass to his son. A Taliban statement did not say where he died or when but his death has been reported a number of times over recent years.