Syrian War News Updates -- March 18, 2017

VOA: US Airstrike Rounds Out Brutal Anniversary Week in Syria War

This week marked the sixth anniversary of the Syrian war - and it was an especially brutal seven days, with a mosque allegedly damaged by a U.S. airstrike, a twin suicide bombing in Damascus and claims of phosphorus-bomb attacks by Russian and Syrian warplanes.

The death toll in Thursday’s U.S. airstrike on the village of al-Jinah, on the border of the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, rose overnight to 46, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based monitoring group.

The observatory, which uses a network of sources on the ground in Syria for its reporting, claims a majority of those killed were civilians.

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Syrian War News Updates -- March 18, 2017

Syria at War: As US Bombs Rebels, Russia Strikes ISIS and Israel Targets Assad -- Newsweek
At least 46 civilians claimed dead in alleged 'massacre' at Syrian mosque hit by U.S. drone -- Chicago Tribune/Washington Post
Pentagon Denies Bombing Syrian Mosque, But Its Own Photo May Prove That It Did -- The Intercept
US admits Syria airstrike that killed 46 but denies targeting mosque -- The Guardian
Syrian rebels, civilians begin leaving Homs district in deal with government -- Reuters
Syria conflict: Rebels begin evacuating Homs enclave of al-Wair -- BBC
Mass evacuation of Homs' last rebel-held district underway -- DW
Rebels leave Al Waer district under evacuation deal -- Al Jazeera
In Syrian city of Homs, an orderly evacuation of rebels -- CNN
Syria fires missiles at Israeli warplanes on bombing run -- Washington Post
Syria Retaliates Against Israeli Airstrikes as Tensions Escalate -- Bloomberg
Netanyahu: Syria strikes were to block transfer of weapons to Hezbollah -- Jerusalem Post
Russia steps in between Israel and Syria following attacks -- Jerusalem Online
New footage shows Russia using 'white phosphorus' in Syria, activists claim -- The Independent
What's Happening in Palmyra? -- Newsweek
Analysis: Assad feels confident with Russian backing -- YNet News
US likely to deploy ‘up to 1,000 more ground troops’ to Syria to defeat Isis in Raqqa -- Independent
The Pentagon's 'reassure and deter' mission in Syria looks a lot like mission creep -- Military Times editorial
Doctors describe horrific conditions in war-torn Syria -- Arab News/AP
Implications for a Syrian transition under Assad -- Sultan Barakat, Al Jazeera
Peace Arrangement in Syrian Town Could Be Post-IS Model -- VOA
The economic costs of Syria's civil war -- Euronews