War

The search for the remaining missing persons from the wars in the former Yugoslavia is still being hindered by politics, a BIRN conference on regional cooperation and post-conflict justice was told.

Russian and Syrian warplanes pounded towns in Syria's opposition-held Idlib province on Sept. 8, a day after a summit of the presidents of Turkey, Iran and Russia failed to agree on a ceasefire that would forestall a Russian-backed offensive.

As Syrian and Russian warplanes bombed Idlib, one of the last strongholds of the opposition, footage shared on social media showed some Syrians scaling the border wall and entering Turkey.

Chemical weapons are being prepared by the Syrian regime, which is set to launch an offensive on the northwestern province of Idlib, U.S. special representative for Syria James Jeffrey said Sept. 6.

Russia's Ambassador to Ankara Aleksey Yerkhov has described the upcoming summit in Tehran with the participation of the leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran as the "best opportunity" for resolving the Syrian problem amid concerns over a large-scale regime offensive into the rebel-held Idlib province. 

The leader of Syria's al-Qaida affiliate has vowed to fight on in Idlib province, the country's last major rebel stronghold, in the face of a possible government offensive.

The Serbian commission for examining the alleged effects on public health of NATO’s use of depleted uranium ammunition during the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia will start work in late August or early September, its chairman said.

Syrian government helicopters dropped barrel bombs on opposition areas of the southwest on June 22 for the first time in a year, a war monitor and rebel officials said, in defiance of U.S. demands that President Bashar al-Assad halt the assault.

At least six police officials were killed and another was critically injured on May 20 when Maoist rebels targeted their vehicle with a bomb in eastern India, police said.

The Serbian parliament will establish a commission to examine the alleged effects on public health of NATO’s use of depleted uranium ammunition during the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia.