Syria defies US warning

Syrian government warplanes were in the air again yesterday over the flashpoint northeastern city of Hasakeh, despite a US warning against new strikes that might endanger its military advisers.

In another escalation of the five-year war, regime planes this week bombarded positions held by US-backed Kurdish forces in the city fighting the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.

The unprecedented strikes prompted the US-led coalition to scramble aircraft to protect its special operations forces helping the Kurdish fighters, warning the regime not to put the advisers on the ground at risk.

It was apparently the first time the coalition scrambled jets in response to regime action, and possibly the closest call yet in terms of Syrian forces wounding American or coalition advisers.

A rocket is being launched from a Russian warship in the Mediterranean Sea targeting Syria Islamists, according to the ministry. Photo: Reuters

The flare up came as Turkey yesterday said it will take a more active role in addressing the conflict in Syria in the next six months to prevent the war-torn country being divided along ethnic lines.

"Turkey we will be more active in the Syria issue in the coming six months as a regional player. This means to not allow Syria to be divided on any ethnic base, for Turkey this is crucial," Turkish Prime Binali Yildirim said.

Syria's more than five-year conflict has taken on an ethnic dimension, with Kurdish groups carving out their own regions, and periodically battling groups from Syria's Arab majority whose priority is to overthrow Assad.

Turkey fears the strengthening of Kurdish militant groups in Syria will further embolden its own Kurdish insurgency, which flared anew following the collapse of a ceasefire between militants and the state last year.

Thursday's government raids were the first time the regime bombarded Kurdish positions from the air.

On Friday Syrian Kurdish authorities evacuated thousands of civilians from Kurdish areas of Hasaka following Syrian government air strikes, the Kurdish YPG militia said.

It came a week after Turkey and Russia, Assad's strongest military backer, repaired ties following Turkey's downing of a Russian jet late last year.

Around two-thirds of Hasakeh is controlled by Kurdish forces, while the rest is held by pro-government militia.

Washington regards the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as the most effective fighting force against IS in Syria and has provided them with air support as well as the military advisers.

In the central province of Homs, 20 civilians including at least five children died overnight in suspected regime air raids and artillery fire on a cluster of towns and villages, the Observatory said yesterday.

More than 290,000 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in March 2011.