The Latest: UN's Syria ambassador expected talk 'spoilers'

The Latest: UN's Syria ambassador expected talk 'spoilers'


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BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on developments in Syria and at peace talks in Geneva (all times local):

6:55 p.m.

The U.N. envoy for Syria is decrying a "tragic" string of deadly attacks by insurgents in the central city of Homs, and says he suspected "spoilers" would try to scuttle peace talks in Geneva.

Staffan de Mistura spoke to reporters after the synchronized attacks Saturday left at least 32 people dead, and just moments before he hosted Syria's U.N. Ambassador, Bashar al-Ja'afari, for peace talks between the opposition and government. The talks began Thursday.

De Mistura says: "I'm expecting during these talks, unfortunately, spoilers. Every time we had talks or a negotiation, there was always someone who was trying to spoil it -- we were expecting that."

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6:40 p.m.

Syria's ambassador to the United Nations says the attacks against security offices in the country's central city of Homs are a message from the "sponsors of terrorism" to the peace talks.

Bashar al-Ja'afari, who leads Damascus' delegation to the peace talks in Geneva, said Saturday the attacks, which he called a "crime," will not go unanswered. He said they "were a message to Geneva from the sponsors of terrorism. The message has been delivered."

Al-Ja'afari was arriving for talks with the U.N. envoy to Syria. The talks in Geneva opened Thursday.

The twin attacks were among the best coordinated against the government security offices, killing at least 32 including a senior officer of the feared Military Intelligence Services.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry urged the U.N. to condemn the attacks.

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2:45 p.m.

A leader of the main Syrian opposition group says the group shares the priorities of the new U.S. administration to fight the Islamic State group and contain Iran.

Nasr Hariri, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press in Geneva says: "We have a lot of points that we share with this new administration of America," said Hariri. "On the top of these priorities is fighting terrorism."

He said members of the Trump team met with members of the main Syrian opposition before and after he was elected in a bid to find common ground.

U.N. Syria envoy Staffan De Mistura is holding a third day of meetings in Geneva with government and opposition delegations in a bid to find a political solution to Syria's six-year war.

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9:50 a.m.

Syrian media says multiple explosions have struck a security building in the central city of Homs, inflicting numerous casualties.

The state-affiliated Ikhbariyeh TV said the blasts Saturday morning were caused by suicide attacks.

The governor of Homs Province, Talal Barzani, told The Associated Press that there were three blasts total, killing more than 20 people, and wounding many others. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported at least 14 people were killed.

Homs is Syria's third-largest city and largely in the control of the government.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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