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| US and Russia discuss Syria ceasefire in Switzerland | US and Russia discuss Syria ceasefire in Switzerland |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| New talks are under way in Switzerland as the US and Russia try to broker another ceasefire in Syria. | |
| US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's Sergei Lavrov are meeting delegates from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar in the city of Lausanne. | US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's Sergei Lavrov are meeting delegates from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar in the city of Lausanne. |
| Since a brief truce collapsed last month, Syria and Russia have stepped up bombing of rebel-held east Aleppo. | Since a brief truce collapsed last month, Syria and Russia have stepped up bombing of rebel-held east Aleppo. |
| Meanwhile, Turkish-backed rebels are reported to be advancing on Dabiq, a stronghold of so-called Islamic State. | Meanwhile, Turkish-backed rebels are reported to be advancing on Dabiq, a stronghold of so-called Islamic State. |
| The small town holds great symbolic value to IS and features heavily in its propaganda. | The small town holds great symbolic value to IS and features heavily in its propaganda. |
| Ceasefire plea | Ceasefire plea |
| Ahead of the talks in Lausanne, officials have played down any hopes of a breakthrough. | Ahead of the talks in Lausanne, officials have played down any hopes of a breakthrough. |
| On Friday, Russian news agencies quoted Mr Kerry as saying he had no "special expectations" for the talks, while an unnamed French source told AFP: "When you see the results from the previous efforts, quite frankly I'm a bit sceptical about the next ones." | On Friday, Russian news agencies quoted Mr Kerry as saying he had no "special expectations" for the talks, while an unnamed French source told AFP: "When you see the results from the previous efforts, quite frankly I'm a bit sceptical about the next ones." |
| 'Don't expect too much': By Imogen Foulkes, BBC News, Lausanne | |
| There can be no peace in Syria without the agreement of the men meeting in Switzerland today. | |
| Bilateral talks between the US and Russia have brought no real solution. A ceasefire brokered last month collapsed after just a few days, since then Syrian government bombing of Aleppo, backed by Russia, has intensified. | |
| On the ground Iranian troops are reportedly supporting Syrian forces. Saudi Arabia and the US have been supplying opposition groups with weapons and money. | |
| Moscow insists rebel forces it regards as terrorists must be separated from more moderate opposition groups before the bombing of Aleppo can stop. Washington says the bombing is a war crime. | |
| And so, even as the talks get under way, the message from the diplomats who could make peace was: don't expect too much. | |
| Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to "keep cleaning" Aleppo of rebels and told a Russian newspaper that winning in the city would be a "springboard" to winning in the rest of the country. | Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to "keep cleaning" Aleppo of rebels and told a Russian newspaper that winning in the city would be a "springboard" to winning in the rest of the country. |
| On Saturday, organisations including Save the Children, Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council and the International Rescue Committee issued a plea "to establish a ceasefire of at least 72 hours in east Aleppo" to allow evacuations and delivery of aid. | On Saturday, organisations including Save the Children, Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council and the International Rescue Committee issued a plea "to establish a ceasefire of at least 72 hours in east Aleppo" to allow evacuations and delivery of aid. |
| There are now no safe areas left in rebel-held parts of the city, according to REACH, an organisation that contacts people there regularly in order to gather humanitarian reports. | There are now no safe areas left in rebel-held parts of the city, according to REACH, an organisation that contacts people there regularly in order to gather humanitarian reports. |
| About 275,000 people live in the besieged areas, and aid organisations have not been able to get to them since the siege resumed on 4 September. | About 275,000 people live in the besieged areas, and aid organisations have not been able to get to them since the siege resumed on 4 September. |
| More than 370 people, including nearly 70 children, have been killed in the bombardment of eastern Aleppo, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. | More than 370 people, including nearly 70 children, have been killed in the bombardment of eastern Aleppo, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. |
| The monitor said dozens of civilians including children have also died in rebel bombardment of western Aleppo, which is controlled by the Syrian government. | The monitor said dozens of civilians including children have also died in rebel bombardment of western Aleppo, which is controlled by the Syrian government. |
| A war that started with an uprising against President al-Assad has now split Syria into many parts. It has been going on for over five years and it has claimed 300,000 lives. | A war that started with an uprising against President al-Assad has now split Syria into many parts. It has been going on for over five years and it has claimed 300,000 lives. |
| Symbolic town | Symbolic town |
| On Saturday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan confirmed Turkish-backed Syrian rebels were advancing on the town of Dabiq. | On Saturday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan confirmed Turkish-backed Syrian rebels were advancing on the town of Dabiq. |
| Why is Dabiq so important for IS? | Why is Dabiq so important for IS? |
| A monitoring group and a rebel commander said heavy shelling had taken place ahead of the offensive. | A monitoring group and a rebel commander said heavy shelling had taken place ahead of the offensive. |
| Dabiq, which lies about 10km (6 miles) from the Turkish border, is important to IS because it is named in Islamic apocalyptic prophecies as the site of an end-of-times showdown between Muslims and their enemies. | Dabiq, which lies about 10km (6 miles) from the Turkish border, is important to IS because it is named in Islamic apocalyptic prophecies as the site of an end-of-times showdown between Muslims and their enemies. |
| An alliance of Syrian Arab rebel groups, supported by Turkish air strikes, tanks and special forces, launched an operation to drive IS militants and Syrian Kurdish fighters from an area along Turkey's border with Syria in late August. | An alliance of Syrian Arab rebel groups, supported by Turkish air strikes, tanks and special forces, launched an operation to drive IS militants and Syrian Kurdish fighters from an area along Turkey's border with Syria in late August. |
| Since then, they have captured the key towns of Jarablus and al-Rai. | Since then, they have captured the key towns of Jarablus and al-Rai. |