Kerry demands Syria aircraft grounded as UN debates ceasefire
Diplomats will continue talks on the Syrian ceasefire later, with John Kerry describing efforts so far as "woefully inadequate".
Thursday 22 September 2016 07:26, UK
The International Syria Support Group will meet later today and resume diplomatic efforts to save the war-torn country's troubled ceasefire deal.
Despite tension between the US and Russia, all key players in the conflict will gather in New York - two days after an hour-long meeting brought little progress on agreeing the next steps to end the civil war.
It follows a heated UN Security Council meeting where US Secretary of State John Kerry accused international diplomats of proving "woefully inadequate" in getting Syrian parties to negotiate so far.
Mr Kerry has called for aircraft to be grounded in parts of Syria so the ceasefire deal can be extended.
He also said an airstrike on an aid convoy on Monday, which killed some 20 aid workers delivering humanitarian supplies, raised "profound doubt" as to whether Russia and the Syrian government were committed to upholding the cessation of hostilities.
After halting aid operations in the wake of the attack on the convoy, the UN has said it is ready to resume humanitarian deliveries.
Sounding a cautious note, Mr Kerry told reporters late on Wednesday that "it's going to be difficult. We'll see what people are willing to do."
During his address to the UN, the Secretary of State said he believed there was a way forward "out of the carnage", but the future of the country was "hanging by a thread".
Those remarks were echoed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who described it as a "make or break moment" and urged world powers to use their influence and restart talks to help Syrians "negotiate a way out of the hell in which they are trapped".
:: Who says what and why about the Syria aid convoy attack
Mr Kerry wants Syrian government forces to be banned from flying over areas controlled by the opposition in an effort to help bring the escalating situation under control.
He also urged countries to cease supporting any parties attempting to sabotage a truce.
Away from New York, there were multiple reports of fighting between Syrian rebels and pro-government forces on the ground:
:: Nine rebels and four medical staff were reportedly killed by an airstrike in the insurgent-held town of Khan Touman south of Aleppo.
:: Syrian state media said the army had recaptured a fertiliser factory in the Ramousah area to the southwest of the city.
:: A rebel fighter in the Aleppo area and the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Right told Reuters fighter jets had been bombing in several locations.
:: The observatory also said a Syrian jet crashed near Damascus. Islamic State said it had been shot down but the regime has not yet commented.
:: And a Syrian government source said insurgent groups were preparing to launch attacks to the south and west of Aleppo and north of Hama.
:: Syria's conflict only contains versions of the truth
Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said he wanted to see a thorough and impartial investigation into the attack on the aid convoy, after Moscow released footage it said showed a pickup truck carrying a mortar travelling with the trucks.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the airstrike on the aid convoy. The US believes two Russian Su-24 jets carried out the attack, based on location and timing.
But Moscow has denied all involvement, instead suggesting a fire broke out, destroying the vehicles among other theories.
On Wednesday, a Russian military spokesman said a Predator drone from the US-led coalition had entered the area where the attack had taken place "several minutes before it burst into flames", a claim denied by the Pentagon.
Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the ministry, said allegations that Moscow was responsible were an attempt to distract attention from the US-led coalition's bombing of Syrian soldiers near Deir al-Zor airport on Saturday.
The truce came into effect on 12 September in order to create a safe corridor for aid into war-torn Aleppo, where many of the inhabitants are said to be in dire need.