Russia Has Made ‘Quite Specific’ Proposal On Syria Ceasefire:Russian Foreign Minister

“We will approach this meeting in Munich with great hopes that this will be a telling moment”, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry said.

The U.S.is concerned about reduced humanitarian access to Aleppo where Russian Federation continues to strike in support of the Syrian government’s ground offensive, a U.S. military official said Wednesday.

Geneva II was the last round of failed peace talks among the parties that was held in Switzerland 13 months ago.

Russian Federation has proposed a March 1 cease-fire.

“Secretary (of Defense) will call his counterparts to be creative, to speak to contribute to discussions on how to conduct the campaign”, said the official on condition of anonymity.

He said: “The International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting in Munich committed members to achieving a cessation of hostilities within a week, to delivering humanitarian assistance to named besieged communities by this weekend and to facilitating rapid progress in negotiations aimed at political transition”.

“We’re going to have a serious conversation about all aspects about what’s happening in Syria. We will talk about all aspects of the conflict”.

A suicide bomber who carried out an attack in Istanbul’s central tourist district last month is understood to have entered Turkey from Syria, registered as a refugee.

“The terrorists are marching people towards the Turkish border, so that later they may hide among the locals”, Konashenkov said, according a Thursday story from state-run Sputnik news. He added that the airplanes from the U.S.-led coalition – “both aircrafts and UAVs” – were active over the city at the time.

General Ahmed Al-Rahhal, who defected from the Syrian army, told Anadoluthat “the biggest beneficiary from the ongoing battles in the northern Aleppo countryside are the Kurdish military units”.

Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo, reporting from the United Nations headquarters in NY, said the Russian ambassador to the United Nations did not confirm the report.

“While it has been dealing with this issue alone, the countries that have not made any contribution are displaying attitudes like “Turkey must open its borders”, he added. He predicted “tangible gains” in Iraq and Syria by March.

Saudi Arabian state television is quoting a military spokesman describing the kingdom’s offer to send ground troops into Syria as an “irreversible decision”. Canada will keep two surveillance planes in the region and conduct aerial refueling missions.

Fighting today raged around Tamura, north of Aleppo city, with intense Russian air raids on several nearby villages, the Observatory said.

“For us, it’s important to stop the Russian aggression on the Syrian people”, said Salem Meslet, a Syrian opposition representative.

The statement came after the Pentagon accused Russian and Syrian government forces of destroying two main hospitals in Aleppo in air raids.

Kurdish forces backed by Arab rebel groups captured a strategic air base and the adjacent town in northern Syria from rival anti-government factions overnight, a monitoring group said early Thursday.

John Kerry had yet claimed Tuesday in Moscow to work for an “immediate cease-fire” in Syria and to stop its campaign of strikes began on 30 September and that has intensified in recent days against groups of opposition and civilians.