Rutskoi: Turkey still supplying terrorists in Syria; 150 towns liberated. Riad Hijab: Russians bombing children. Holland: same old.

Newsbomb.gr, January 12, 2016

Translated from Greek by Tom Winter, January 14, 2016

Terrorist organizations operating in Syria continue to receive aid through the territory of Turkey, denounced Lieutenant General Sergei Rutskoi, head of the operations directorate of the Russian General Staff, as reported news agency RIA Novosti.

"Despite all the efforts of the international community to prevent supplying the terrorists, aid to the rebels is being sent on a regular basis in Northeast Syria in the Latakia province through the territory of Turkey," noted Rutskoi.

The Russian officer added that the Russian Air Force has launched more than 300 air strikes in Syria since New Years, affecting about 1,100 terrorist targets in ten provinces. As noted, over 150 cities and villages of Syria have been liberated the last month and a half, thanks to the assistance provided by aircraft of the Russian Aerospace forces to the Syrian troops. 

"During December 2015, the rebels were driven out of 134 villages and towns, as well as 19 more in the first days of this year. The greatest success was recorded in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Homs and Pakala," he explained.

On the other side on January 11, the coordinator of the Syrian opposition [and chief negotiator for the rebels], former Prime Minister Riad Hijab, accused Russia of killing dozens of children after the bombing unleashed by Russian warplanes hit schools in an insurgent-controlled city in Aleppo province.

"We want to negotiate, but to do so, you must meet these conditions," said Hijab, after his meeting with French President François Hollande. "We can not negotiate with the Syrian regime while foreign forces are bombing the Syrian people," he said.

He said Russian planes committed a "massacre" in Idzara in northeastern Aleppo province, where three schools were bombed, resulting in 35 children being killed and dozens injured.

For his part, Hollande repeated that there is no future for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and called for humanitarian aid to be directly distributed to besieged areas of Syria, mainly Madaya.