Miscellaneous 09:20 16/01/2013

Moscow suspends consular operations in Aleppo

The Russian Consulate General in Syria's largest city has suspended operations, CNN reported, citing Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

"The operations of the Russian Federation's Consulate General in Aleppo have been suspended," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, the news agency reported. "Regarding all issues, contact the consular department of the Russian Embassy in Damascus."

Russia has refused to support U.N. sanctions against Syria, its longtime ally.

Located in northwest Syria, Aleppo has been torn by months of fighting between government forces and rebel groups, who control much of the city, where electricity and food have been in short supply.

Two blasts at Aleppo University killed at least 82 people Tuesday, Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar Jaafari, told the U.N. Security Council. Another 162 students were wounded in the "cowardly terrorist act," he said.

Referring to the rebels, state-run media blamed "terrorists" for the explosions, which occurred on the first day of exams at the school.

But regime warplanes shelled the university, said Free Syria Army spokesman Abdulla Yasin. The rebels were nowhere near the campus, which is in a government-controlled area, he said.

In addition to housing students, the university dormitories -- which bore the brunt of Tuesday's attack -- are serving as temporary homes to families displaced by fighting in Aleppo, Homs and Hama.

Across Aleppo, 99 deaths were counted Tuesday, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.

CNN cannot independently verify many claims from Syria, as the government has severely restricted access by international journalists.

Despite Moscow's announcement, another longtime Syrian ally predicted Tuesday that Damascus will emerge triumphant from the strife.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made that prediction in a meeting in Tehran with Syrian Prime Minister Wael Nader al-Halki, Iran's state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

"We pray that chaotic situation, which certain powers have imposed against Syria, will end by Syrian nation solidarity," the president said, IRNA reported.

The events came on the same day that a video was posted online showing what it says are two Syrian military officers begging President Bashar al-Assad to set up a prisoner swap to free them from their rebel captors.

In the video, the two men say they were abducted last October by the Free Syrian Army, a loosely organized group of Syrians who have been fighting for nearly two years to oust al-Assad.

"We were captured by FSA while we were armed, and we have been treated based on the International conventions," says Gen. Brig. Ahmed Raeidi, referring to international detention laws.

Raeidi and Staff Brigadier Hussein Allouch, an engineer from the Armored Vehicles Department, are shown beseeching al-Assad -- a fellow Alawite -- to help them.



Source Panorama.am
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