Jaysh al-Islam

At least 28 civilians have been killed in bombing and shelling against the besieged Syrian East Ghouta region near the capital Damascus. 19 people were killed on Wednesday in a Russian air strike in the city of Mizraba and the rest were killed the same day in regime strikes and shelling in other areas, the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights Watch said.

Prospective participants in peace talks scheduled to take place in the Kazakh capital of Astana were making preparations ahead of Jan. 23, the set date for the start of the negotiations that were brokered by Russia and Turkey.

The Syria-wide cease-fire agreement has been signed by 13 armed opposition groups, Osama Abou Zaid, a representative from the Syrian opposition's truce negotiating team, told reporters late on Dec. 29. 

The agreement, that is two-page-long and consists of five articles, covers all regions in Syria and applies to all opposition groups, he said.

We all have been bombarded by news and allegations about Syria this week. Some were about the radically changing dynamics within Syria, while others related to shifting regional alliances and U.S. policy.

Let?s go through them one by one.

First of all: Is Turkey sending troops to Syria?

At least 45 people were killed in Syrian government air strikes on opposition areas around Damascus Feb. 5 after rebels fired dozens of mortar rounds at the capital, a monitor said.
      
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least six children were among those killed in nearly 40 air raids on parts of Eastern Ghouta in Damascus province.
     

 Four civilians were killed and dozens wounded when rebels fired a barrage of rockets and mortar rounds Jan. 25 at central Damascus, a monitoring group said.
      
The rebel attack came two days after they threatened to retaliate for deadly air raids by the Syrian regime against an opposition-held area on the edge of the capital.
      

Footage showing a jihadist rebel leader fighting in Syria giving a fiery speech to militants while holding a pink notebook has gone viral on social media.