US to send more troops to Syria

President Barack Obama on Monday said the US would send up to 250 more military personnel, including special forces, to Syria to help rebels fight ISIS jihadists.

Mr Obama was in Germany for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel, and both were to be joined later by the leaders of Britain, France and Italy in a meeting expected to focus on the fight against the ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

In a speech on transatlantic unity, Mr Obama hailed Nato partners’ progress so far in pushing back ISIS, which he called “the most urgent threat to our nations”.

“A small number of American special operations forces are already on the ground in Syria and their expertise has been critical as local forces have driven ISIL out of key areas,” he said, using an alternative acronym for the militant group.

“So, given the success, I have approved the deployment of up to 250 additional US personnel in Syria, including special forces, to keep up this momentum,” added Mr Obama, speaking in the northern city of Hanover.

“They’re not going to be leading the fight on the ground, but they will be essential in providing the training, in assisting local forces as they continue to drive ISIL back.”

On Sunday, Mr Obama had pressed for all parties to the Syrian conflict, including the regime’s ally Russia, to return to the negotiating table and “reinstate” an internationally-brokered ceasefire.

“I spoke to President Vladimir Putin early last week to try to make sure that we could reinstate the cessation of hostilities,” Mr Obama said.

That was the clearest indication yet that the White House believes the ceasefire has all but disintegrated, as regime and rebel bombardments claimed 26 lives Sunday.

Eight weeks into the declared truce between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and non-jihadist rebels, violence has escalated around Aleppo, with dozens killed by government airstrikes and rebel rockets.

The surge in fighting and stalled peace talks in Geneva have dimmed hopes for quickly resolving Syria’s devastating five-year conflict, which has sparked a major refugee crisis in the region and Europe.

The White House has argued that the ceasefire, while imperfect, is worth pursuing and is the only way out of the brutal civil war.

But its stance is bringing Washington and its allies into ever more conflict with rebel groups on the ground, which continue to be on the receiving end of regime attacks.

As fighting has flared again, at least 27 civilian deaths were reported in regime bombardments across Syria on Saturday, and a fresh barrage of airstrikes hit Aleppo on Sunday.

Rockets fired into Turkey from an area of Syria controlled by the ISIS also killed one person on Sunday and wounded 26, Ankara’s deputy prime minister said.