Syrian rebels called on U.S. President Barack Obama to do more to stop Russian bombing raids in support of a military offensive by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad that threatens to scupper new peace talks this week.

The Turkish army shelled Kurdish militia in northern Syria for a second day on Sunday, while Russia made clear it would continue bombing Syrian rebel targets, raising doubts that a planned ceasefire would bring much relief.

President Barack Obama discussed the Syria crisis with Russian leader Vladimir Putin by telephone, including the importance of rushing humanitarian aid to that country and containing air strikes, the White House said on Sunday.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said U.S.-supplied weapons had been used against civilians by a Syrian Kurdish militia group that Ankara blames for a deadly suicide bombing, and said he would talk to President Barack Obama about it later on Friday.

Syria's opposition has agreed to a two- to three-week truce on condition that Russia stops its air strikes, sieges are ended and access for aid allowed across the country, a source close to peace talks said on Saturday.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Saturday he was ready for a ceasefire, on condition "terrorists" did not use a lull in fighting to their advantage and that countries backing insurgents halted support for them.

The Latest on the Syrian conflict as a fragile cease-fire enters its fourth day (all times local): 2:50 p.m. Syrian President Bashar Assad says in an interview with German television that rebels who lay down their arms can expect a "full amnesty." Assad was…

U.S.-backed Syrian rebels say al-Qaida militants have seized their bases and stolen weapons in a series of raids in the northern Idlib province. Division 13 of the Free Syrian Army said on Twitter Sunday that the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front occupied and…

President Bashar Assad said in an interview published Wednesday that Syria needs a national unity government that would secure the transition to a new constitution, rejecting the "transitional body" demanded by the opposition, which wants him to step down.…

The Syrian opposition said on Wednesday Syria needs a transitional ruling body with full executive powers and not a participatory government under President Bashar al-Assad, responding to comments made by Assad to Russian state media.

Syrian rebels say they have seized control of the strategically important northern town of al-Rai from the group known as Islamic State (IS).

Rebels seized a village from government forces near Aleppo overnight, a monitoring group and rebel sources said on Friday, gaining important ground near the Syrian city where the United States and Russia are trying to de-escalate the war.

Khalidi

Air strikes hit the only road into rebel-held areas of Aleppo city on Sunday in the heaviest bombardment since February, a rebel official and monitor said, jeopardizing access to an area where an estimated 300,000 Syrians live.

An unidentified warplane has crashed near the city of Aleppo in northwest Syria

Syrian rebels including jihadists began a counter-attack against the army and its allies on Friday aiming to break a weeks-long siege on eastern Aleppo, insurgents said.

Syrian insurgents clashed in a town near the Turkish border on Monday as inter-rebel tensions spilled over, playing to President Bashar al-Assad's advantage with the government tightening its grip on rebel-held eastern Aleppo.

Syrian government forces pressed ahead with their offensive in the water-rich Barada Valley northwest of Damascus on Tuesday as 10 rebel groups said they were suspending talks about planned peace negotiations because of what they describe as ongoing government…

Syrian rebels supported by Turkish armed forces have seized control of strategically important hills around the Islamic State-controlled town of al-Bab, Turkey's military said on Wednesday.