Syrian government signaling aim of military, not political, solution: Kerry

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Continued attacks by Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, against opposition-held areas signal their intention to pursue a military rather than a political solution to the Syrian conflict, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday. In a statement, Kerry called on the Syrian government and its supporters to halt bombardment of opposition-held areas, especially in Aleppo, and end sieges of civilians in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution, the State Department said in a statement. "It is past time for them to meet existing obligations and restore the international community’s confidence in their intentions of supporting a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis," Kerry said. He added that the United States looked forward to resumption of peace talks later this month. (Reporting by Eric Walsh; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)