Russian and Syrian forces have been holding joint training exercises in Syria's Latakia province for the past fortnight to prepare for fighting in neighbouring rebel-held Idlib, a security source said Wednesday.

"The joint Russian-Syrian training began two weeks ago in the north of Latakia province," a regime stronghold on the country's coast, the source told AFP.

The exercises were being conducted in an area of Latakia with similar terrain to Idlib province, which is held by a coalition of rebels known as the Army of Conquest.

"In the next stage, Idlib will become the major destination and most important target of joint Russian-Syrian military operations," the source said.

The source said Idlib was now home to the largest number of rebel movements, excluding the Islamic State group, anywhere in the country.

The Army of Conquest, which includes Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, wrested control of the entire province in northwestern Syria earlier this year, dealing a serious strategic and psychological blow to the regime.

Staunch government ally Moscow began an aerial bombing campaign in support of regime forces on September 30, saying it was targeting IS and other extremist groups.

But rebels from other groups accuse Russia of focusing its firepower more on moderate and Islamist opposition fighters than IS.

Rocket fire kills army commander in Libya's Benghazi
Benghazi, Libya (AFP) Dec 2, 2015 - Rocket fire Wednesday killed a commander and wounded five other soldiers of the armed forces loyal to Libya's internationally recognised government in the coastal city of Benghazi, a military source said.

Colonel Ali al-Themen was killed in the eastern district of Sidi Faraj as his forces advanced on positions held by "extremist groups", Nasser el-Hassi, spokesman for the Benina air base south of Benghazi, was quoted as saying by the Lana news agency.

The attack came a day after anti-government armed groups launched a barrage of 28 rockets at Benina, hitting nearby homes and causing dozens of civilian casualties, according to the army.

Medics said one person was killed and three wounded when rockets on Tuesday also struck two residential districts of Benghazi.

Pro-government forces have fought an array of armed factions notably Islamists, for control of Libya's second city for the past 18 months.

Libya descended into chaos after the October 2011 ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with two governments vying for power and armed groups battling over its vast energy resources.

Yemen peace talks could start in mid-December: British envoy
United Nations, United States (AFP) Dec 2, 2015 - Long-delayed peace talks for Yemen are expected to finally open in Geneva in mid-December, the British ambassador to the United Nations said Wednesday.

Yemen forces backed by air power from a Saudi-led coalition have been battling Huthi Shiite rebels who captured the capital Sanaa over a year ago.

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters that the UN-brokered talks "will probably happen in Geneva in the middle of the month."

"We strongly support those because that is the route to ending the conflict," he said.

More than 5,700 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi-led air campaign began in March, according to the United Nations.

The conflict took a worrisome turn this week when Al-Qaeda fighters battled pro-government forces in Jaar in southern Yemen, briefly taking control of the town.

Rycroft said the threat from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) highlighted the need to find an urgent resolution to the Yemen crisis.

UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed has been holding talks for weeks with all sides to try to launch peace talks, but no date has been announced for the formal negotiations.

An attempt in June to bring the Yemeni parties together at a negotiating table failed.

Yemen's humanitarian crisis has been identified by the United Nations as one of the world's worst, with 80 percent of the country's population on the brink of famine.