Missiles in Syria kill 50 as schools and hospitals hit
Kurdish-led forces seize rebel town in Aleppo
Russian strategists play big role in Syria
Merkel backs no-fly zone in Syria
Turkey seeks allies’ support for ground operation
Turkish media say Saudi Arabia, Turkey may strike in Syria

Missiles in Syria kill 50 as schools and hospitals hit
Pro-government forces fought fierce battles against rebels in northern Syria on Monday and UN officials said nearly 50 civilians were killed in missile attacks on at least five medical facilities and two schools in the region. The attacks “cast a shadow on commitments” made by world leaders meeting in Munich, Germany, last week to pursue what was described as “a cessation of hostilities” in Syria, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the attacks included Russian warplanes that struck an Idlib hospital. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders reported at least seven people killed and eight presumed dead in the strike. “The destruction . . . appears to be a deliberate attack on a health structure,” said the group’s head of mission in a press release. US State Department spokesman John Kirby also condemned the strikes on civilian targets in a statement released Monday. Russia denied claims that its warplanes struck hospitals. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday, calling such reports “unsubstantiated accusations.” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry on Monday said the strikes amounted to Russia carrying out an “obvious war crime.” Meanwhile, Syrian Ambassador and Envoy to Moscow Riad Haddad accused the United States of destroying a hospital. [Reuters, NYT, LA times, CNN, Al Jazeera, 2/16/2016]

Kurdish-led forces seize rebel town in Aleppo
On Monday Kurdish-led forces seized a key rebel bastion in Syria’s Aleppo province, extending the opposition’s losses in the region after a major regime operation there. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, seized control of Tal Rifaat from mostly Islamist rebel forces on Monday night, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) monitor said. The SDF capture came despite Turkey shelling the town to try to halt the alliance from advancing after several days of attacks on the one-time rebel stronghold. It left the rebels in Aleppo with only a few remaining bastions, including the town of Marea, just east of Tal Rifaat, and the border town of Azaz to the north. [AFP, Al Arabiya, 2/15/2016]

Russian strategists play big role in Syria
While Russian fighter planes pound rebel positions on the battlefield in Syria, Russian military strategists are playing a far more subtle role in support of President Bashar Assad. Several sources on both sides of the battle lines have said that Russian advisers have been involved in drawing up plans to secure Damascus, Assad’s seat of power. Russia’s plans to buttress Damascus involve weakening rebel forces in the south of the country between the capital and Jordan, according to different sources. The aim is to reduce the rebels’ chances of launching a major offensive. Russia has said it has no ground troops in Syria beyond those protecting its bases. Russia does concede it has trainers and advisers on the ground, but only in an educational and advisory capacity. Russian warplanes have helped the Syrian Army make broad advances and close in on the country’s biggest city, Aleppo. Meanwhile, the Western-backed opposition is fractured and weakened. Russia will continue its air strikes around Aleppo even if a ceasefire agreement in Syria is reached, said a Russian Foreign Ministry official. Public support in Russia for the country’s air strikes in Syria has slipped since the Kremlin launched its air campaign more than four months ago, a poll showed on Monday, but a comfortable majority still back the bombing. The survey by the independent Levada Center showed that 59 percent of Russians support Moscow’s air campaign in Syria compared to 27 percent who were opposed. [Reuters, 2/16/2016]

Merkel backs no-fly zone in Syria
German Chancellor Angela Merkel Monday backed a call from Turkey for a no-fly zone over parts of Syria, saying it would alleviate the situation of displaced Syrians. “In the current situation it would be helpful, if there could be such an area, where none of the parties are allowed to launch aerial attacks, that is to say, a kind of no-fly zone,” she told the daily Stuttgarter Zeitung, when asked about opening up such areas to host people fleeing fighting in the war-torn country. She acknowledged that it was impossible to negotiate with “terrorists from the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL)”, “but if it’s possible for the anti-Assad coalition and the Assad-supporters to come to an agreement, that would be helpful.” [AFP, 2/15/2016]

Turkey seeks allies’ support for ground operation as Syria war nears border
Turkey is asking allies to take part in a joint ground operation in Syria, raising the possibility of direct confrontation between the NATO member and Russia. A large-scale joint ground operation is still unlikely, as Washington has ruled out a major offensive. But recent Syrian Army advances, supported by Iranian-backed Shia militias and Russian air strikes, has brought troops to within 25km of Turkey’s frontier. Kurdish fighters, regarded by Turkey as hostile insurgents, have also exploited the collapse of other rebel groups to seize ground and extend their presence along the border. Turkish artillery returned fire into Syria for a fourth straight day on Tuesday, military sources said, targeting the Kurdish YPG militia. The shelling came after Davutoglu said on Saturday that Ankara would, if necessary, take military action against fighters from the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD). The UN Security Council will discuss Turkey’s shelling of targets in Syria at the request of Russia and Syria’s Foreign Ministry. Turkey has responded by pointing to Russian air support as the heart of the problem. [Reuters, AFP, Guardian, Today’s Zaman, Al Jazeera, 2/16/2016]

Turkish media say Saudi Arabia, Turkey may strike in Syria
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday that Turkey and Saudi Arabia may launch ground operations against the Islamic State group in Syria. After taking part at a security conference in Munich, Cavusoglu said Saudi Arabia was “ready to send both jets and troops” to Turkey’s Incirlik air base. “Turkey and Saudi Arabia may launch an operation [against ISIS] from the land,” he added. On Sunday, Turkish MP Yasin Aktay confirmed Saudi warplanes will act together with the coalition forces in the fight against the ISIL. Recent reports on the expected arrival of the jets are conflicting, however, and Turkish officials have not confirmed that action will be taken by the two countries alone. Although a Saudi diplomat said Sunday that Saudi Arabia was serious about sending ground troops, the two countries appear to be waiting to see if a planned ceasefire transpires and for a sign-off from the US led coalition. [AP, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Rudaw, Independent, 2/15/2016]