Russia to stay in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday approved a law ratifying Moscow's deal with Syria to deploy its forces in the country indefinitely, in a move seen as firming their long-term presence.

The agreement -- signed between Moscow and Damascus in August 2015 -- allowed Russia to establish its Hmeimim airbase to launch operations in support of ally President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Putin's official signing off on the pact, that lasts for an "indefinite" period, is a legal move that many believe will now pave the way for Moscow to make the base permanent.

The ratification of the deal, which follows votes by both Russia's parliament and senate, comes as tensions with the West spike over Russia's bombing of rebel-held, besieged eastern Aleppo.

Putin in August asked lawmakers to ratify the deal, which grants Russian forces immunity from prosecution in Syria.

Since the collapse last month of a truce brokered by Washington and Moscow, Aleppo has been engulfed by some of the worst violence of the conflict.

The latest assault by government forces in Aleppo with the support of Russian airpower has sparked Western accusations of potential war crimes.

Just days after the deal fell apart, Syria's military announced an offensive to capture the whole city, divided between rebels in the east and the government in the west since 2012. Scores of people, including children, died in the assault.

On the ground, overwhelmed rescue workers combed rubble for victims of intense air strikes yesterday, ahead of fresh diplomatic efforts to end the country's intractable conflict.

The United States and Russia, which support opposite sides in the five-year war, will meet in Switzerland today to try to resurrect the peace process. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura will also attend, along with the chief diplomats from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar -- all backers of Syrian opposition forces.

Then in London tomorrow, Kerry will likely meet up with his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany.

In an interview with Russia's Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid published yesterday, Assad said he would use a victory in Aleppo as a "springboard" to capture other rebel strongholds.

He indicated that his next target could be Idlib province, held by an alliance of rebels and jihadists including the Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front when it cut ties with al-Qaeda.

"You have to keep cleaning this area and to push the terrorists to Turkey to go back to where they come from, or to kill them. There's no other option," Assad said.