Khashoggi murder: Son arrives in US from Saudi Arabia

The eldest son of the murdered Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, has arrived in the US from Saudi Arabia along with his family.

Salah Khashoggi had previously been barred from leaving Saudi Arabia because of his father's criticism of the country's leadership.

Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul three weeks ago, investigators say.

Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor is due to travel to Turkey on Sunday.

Saudi officials deny the involvement of the royal family, including de factor ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in the murder.

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But Russia has said the royal family should be believed.

"No-one should have any reasons not to believe them," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

His comments contrast with doubts among Saudi Arabia's Western allies as Riyadh has changed its version of what happened in the consulate on 2 October several times.

Russia is making clear who it is siding with, says the BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul, in another sign of the wide geopolitical repercussions stemming from this murder.

What do we know about Salah Khashoggi?

Two days before arriving in the US, Salah Khashoggi was pictured receiving condolences from Crown Prince Mohammed.

He briefly shook hands with the royal and gave what many see as a cold stare during Tuesday's apparently staged meeting.

Some are suggesting the public display may have been the price for being allowed to leave the country.A US spokesman said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had told Saudi leaders that he wanted Salah Khashoggi, a dual US-Saudi citizen, to be able to return to the US and was "pleased" that he had been allowed to do so.

Sources close to the Khashoggis told Reuters that he and his family arrived on a flight from Saudi Arabia and joined his mother and three siblings in Washington.

It is not clear how long Salah Khashoggi plans to stay in the US.

How is the investigation going?

The Saudi public prosecutor, Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb, will be meeting his Turkish counterpart in Istanbul.

The move was announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a televised speech.

Turkey also had other evidence which had not yet been disclosed, Mr Erdogan said.

And he called on Saudi Arabia to disclose the location of Jamal Khashoggi's body, as well as the name of an alleged "local co-operator" involved in disposing of it.

• How Saudis changed story on Khashoggi
• All you need to know about Khashoggi's death
• Who was the victim?

The Saudi prosecutor said on Thursday that the killing was premeditated, in a further development of the Saudi narrative.

Saudi officials have also blamed "rogue" agents, and, when Mr Khashoggi first disappeared, maintained he had left the consulate unharmed.CIA director Gina Haspel is now back in the US - Saudi Arabia's closest Western ally - after a visit to Turkey where she was briefed by investigators. She has briefed President Donald Trump.

No details were released, but media reports said that during the Turkey visit Ms Haspel had heard audio recordings that investigators claim capture the murder.

On Wednesday, Turkey's Sabah newspaper said she had listened to recordings of Khashoggi's interrogation and death, but gave no details about the contents or how the audio had been obtained.

A person "familiar with the audio" told the Washington Post that it was "compelling".

Turkey's Anadolu news agency said on Thursday that 38 members of staff at the Istanbul consulate had been questioned as witnesses.

What has been happening in Saudi Arabia?

State media say suspects are being questioned following information provided by a joint Saudi-Turkish team.

The official Saudi Press Agency reported that on Thursday Crown Prince Mohammed had chaired the first meeting of a committee to reform the state's intelligence services, which was set up following Mr Khashoggi's death.Last week Saudi Arabia sacked two key advisers to the prince, and arrested 18 people.

On Wednesday Crown Prince Mohammed vowed to punish those responsible for the murder.Last week Saudi Arabia sacked two key advisers to the prince, and arrested 18 people.

On Wednesday Crown Prince Mohammed vowed to punish those responsible for the murder.

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US alienation drives Japan and China into unlikely friendship

Growing alienation with Washington has driven Japan and China into an unlikely friendship.

Tokyo and Beijing have long been at odds over past military confrontations and and present territorial disputes.

Yet on a crucial visit to Beijing, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has now hailed a historic turning point.

The two sides are seeking to boost economic ties and regional stability including North Korea.

On Friday Mr Abe met his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang, and he is due to meet President Xi Jinping later.

How do China and Japan get along?

Usually, not that great. The countries do trade with each other but politically, things have been quite fragile at times.

Japan's World War Two occupation of parts of China remains a very emotional issue and there are several disputed islands that Tokyo and Beijing have yet to agree on.

Mr Abe's current trip to China is the first visit by a Japanese head of government in seven years."From competition to co-existence, Japan and China bilateral relations have entered a new phase," the Japanese premier told reporters in Beijing.

His Chinese counterpart echoed that sentiment saying they should "return to a normal track" of "stable, sustained and healthy" relations.

Why are the talks important?

It comes at a time of escalating trade tensions between the US and most of the rest of the world.

That means Washington is making it harder for other countries to export to the US market.

The Trump administration has imposed huge trade tariffs which it says are in retaliation for other countries' unfair trade practices.

While Washington's trade war is most prominently fought with China, it also targets many other countries, including Japan.

• US-China trade war in 300 words
• How China is fighting back in the trade war

Biggest economies

Travelling with Mr Abe is a Japanese business delegation hoping to forge closer ties and boost trade.

"Vigorous trade will bring the bonds between our people ever closer," Mr Abe told reporters.

Japan and China are by far Asia's largest economies and the two sides have signed a deal to maintain annual dialogue and to cooperate on innovation.

The also agreed to make it easier for their financial markets to work together and vowed to uphold free trade principles.

There are also plans for a wider regional economic partnership and a special trade zone linking up China, Japan and South Korea.

What about North Korea?

It's not all about trade though. Both sides also say they want to work to safeguard peace and stability in the region.

The biggest threat to peace is widely seen as coming from North Korea, and Tokyo and Beijing have long disagreed on how to deal with the situation.

• North Korea's missile and nuclear programme
• North Korea's sidelined human rights crisis

China is Pyongyang's only remaining economic ally, while Japan has in the past warned against any rush to appease Pyongyang.

North Korean missiles have Japan in easy reach and a number of abducted Japanese citizens remain captives in the North.

At the Beijing summit though, Mr Abe said Tokyo was "determined" to normalise diplomatic relations with Pyongyang if there was progress on denuclearisation and the release of Japanese citizens.

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School in Russian-annexed Crimea hit by deadly attack

Student gunman kills 17 and wounds 40 others at vocational school in Kerch before killing himself, say authorities.

The attack took place at a vocational school in the city of Kerch in Russian-annexed Crimea [Kerch.FM/ AFP]

A student has attacked a vocational college in the Russian-annexed peninsula Crimea, killing at least 17 people before killing himself, according to Russia's Investigative Committee.

The committee said CCTV footage showed 18-year-old student Vladislav Roslyakov entering Kerch Polytechnic College with a rifle on Wednesday and firing at students.

"Currently, there are 17 known deaths. The initial inspection of the bodies suggests that they died from gunshot wounds," the committee said in a statement.

The incident in Kerch, a city of 147,000 people, was initially reported as a gas explosion and a possible "terrorist" attack. But the committee later said it was a case of mass murder.

"Everyone was scared. People were crying."

'Tragic event'

Olga Grebennikova, director of the vocational college, told KerchNet TV that men armed with automatic rifles burst into the college and "killed everyone they saw". 

Grebennikova, who said she had left the grounds shortly before the attack occurred, said students and staff were among victims.

The local Crimean government announced three days of mourning following the incident and the Kremlin announced it would investigate the attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin deplored the attack as a "tragic event" and offered condolences to the victims' families at a news conference in Sochi. 

Russia annexed the peninsula in March 2014, after a referendum in which the population of Crimea chose to become part of Russia.

The annexation followed the overthrow of pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich after weeks of protests that descended into a violent conflict.

Later pro-Russian separatists took over parts of Donbass in southeastern Ukraine.

Since then, fighting in that region has killed more than 13,000 people, including about 3,000 civilians.

The so-called Minsk agreements - brokered by Germany and France and signed by Russia and Ukraine in 2015 - have slowed the conflict, but sporadic fighting continues.

Over the past few years, Russian security agencies have arrested several Ukrainians accused of plotting terror attacks in Crimea, but no attacks have occurred.

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Israeli jets pound Gaza after rocket hits home

One Palestinian killed, eight injured in Israeli attacks, but Hamas says it's an attempt to undermine truce.

The mother of the Palestinian who was killed by the Israeli air raid at the hospital in Gaza [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

Israel says its fighter jets have struck 20 targets in the Gaza Strip, killing one Palestinian and injuring eight others.

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, Naji Ahmad al-Zaneen, 25, was killed in the attack in northern Gaza early on Wednesday.

Among the wounded are six children who were on their way to school in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

Palestinian sources said several rockets fired by Israeli warplanes targeted sites south of Gaza City, while another blast rocked the central region of the Gaza Strip. A powerful explosion also rocked Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The Israeli army stated that it carried out air raids in response to a rocket that hit a home in Beersheba in southern Israel, causing damage but no injuries.

"At 4am [01:00 GMT] Israelis in the city of Beersheba were running to bomb shelters after a rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip at Israel," the Israeli army said on Twitter.

"We will defend Israeli civilians," it added.

The Israeli army said Hamas, which governs the besieged enclave, bears "full responsibility" for the rocket fire but the Palestinian movement denied their role.

In a joint statement with allied armed groups, Hamas said it rejected "all irresponsible attempts" to undermine Egyptian efforts to broker a new long-term truce.

It was one of the first rockets fired in months from the Palestinian territoryunder Israel's devastating 11-year blockade and comes at a time of renewed tensions between Israel and Gaza.

Another rocket from Gaza reportedly fell into the sea near Tel Aviv. No injuries were reported.

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Coinbase Announces New Office in Ireland as Brexit Woes Deepen

Coinbase Expands to Dublin Amid Brexit Woes
Coinbase, which is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, already has a number of employees in Europe. While these employees are currently based in London, England, Coinbase’s new blog post announced plans to expand to Dublin as well.

The expansion came as a part of the plan to scale up in European Union (EU), due to the fact that the number of customers from this part of the world grew faster than any other market throughout 2017. As the process of scaling continues, Coinbase wishes to attract the best talents that will help with creating a superior financial system for the entire world.

After careful consideration of numerous cities throughout the EU, Coinbase deduced that Dublin is the best choice for their new branch. Apart from excessive growth in interest in cryptocurrencies, Dublin was also found to be a pool of talent, as well as support for new technologies. This also includes the emerging cryptocurrency economy, which is why Coinbase feels that Dublin might be the perfect location for the exchange to branch out from.

As mentioned, the exchange also has a small team in London, which will be supported by the new Dublin office. Additionally, Dublin will also open up a variety of career opportunities. Another reason why Coinbase is choosing Dublin instead of expanding its London business is the so-called Brexit. The exchange simply wishes to ensure that their services will still be provided to users that require them even in a post-Brexit scenario, as stated by Coinbase UK division’s chief executive, Zeeshan Feroz.

EU Still Not Regulating Digital Assets

The situation regarding cryptocurrencies in the EU is complex, especially since they are still not regulated assets. Even so, several digital currency exchanges managed to receive a traditional form of license for trading fiat currencies. As for Coinbase itself, the exchange is officially regulated by the UK’s FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) and has received an e-money license.

This allows it to carry out regular money-laundering checks whenever it signs up new customers. This is a process similar to the one that traditional banks are conducting. Additionally, the exchange also needs to comply with different capital requirements, as well as to ensure the protection of their customers.

Ireland itself seems to be welcoming and supportive toward Coinbase’s decision to open up a new office in its capital. The move is expected to highlight Ireland’s competitive offering, as well as attractiveness for financial services.

Coinbase itself sees the move as another step on the journey to ensure that their platform is viewed as a safe and trustworthy place of trade. With new talents from Ireland joining its crew, Coinbase seems to be excited about its future in Europe.

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‘Too Many Disappointing ICOs’. Crypto Payment Startup Launches With ‘No Funding’ Strategy

The team behind a new cryptocurrency platform designed to transfer the way consumers and businesses are paid, says it is putting its money where its mouth is – and has managed to launch without the need for an initial coin offering (ICO).

BLOC argues that too many ICOs have been popping up in the crypto world – disappointing users by failing to offer real products at their conclusion. By contrast, the startup says its platform already boasts “an exclusive set of mining tools, world-first features, and an unrivaled ecosystem to connect buyers and sellers.” The upbeat company has a “strong belief” in its no funding strategy, saying: “If we make a cool product, the value will create itself.”

The buzzwords BLOC uses to describe itself are “fully decentralized, secure, private, fungible, fast, and egalitarian.” It wants to help the crypto world shake off its image of only being suitable for investment by enabling individuals to use coins, as they would any other type of cryptocurrency.

QR codes would be one of the driving factors in making this happen, enabling consumers to offer it for scanning whenever they want to pay a merchant. BLOC says that these transactions would be processed instantaneously – offering security, not dissimilar, from contactless payments.

BLOC says that its platform is going to be open to developers, enabling companies to build their own products and engage with clients in a tailor-made way. Ideas proposed in its white paper include loyalty programs and automated regular payments.

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Bitcoin Price Watch: BTC/USD’s Upside Drift, Reversal And Tether’s Decline

Bitcoin Price Analysis

There was a major sell-off noted for Tether (USDT) pairs, which ignited an upward movein bitcoin price against the US Dollar. The BTC/USD pair also gained traction and moved above the 6,600 and $6,700 resistance levels. Earlier, there was a decent support base formed near the $6,150 level. The price started an upward move above the $6,300 level and the 100 hourly simple moving average.

The upside move was strong as the price broke an ascending channel with resistance at $6,300. Moreover, there was a break above a major bearish trend line with resistance at $6,310 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. The pair rallied towards the $6,800 level and traded as low as $6,825. Sellers appeared and protected further upsides above $6,825. Later, there was a sharp reversal and the price trimmed most of its gains below $6,600. It even broke the $6,500 level and it is currently testing $6,400. The 61.8% Fib retracement level of the recent run from the $6,152 low to $6,825 high is also acting as a support.

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Deadline passes for Syria's Idlib buffer without fighters leaving

Armed groups were supposed to withdraw from the buffer as a final condition to implementing a Russian-Turkish agreement.

A deadline passed on Monday without fighters leaving a planned buffer zone around Syria's last major rebel bastion of Idlib as set out under a Russian-Turkish deal.

The armed groups were supposed to withdraw from the buffer as a final condition to implementing a Russian-Turkish agreement to stave off a Syrian government offensive on the northwestern region of Idlib.

The accord hung in the balance early Monday, seven years into a grinding civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.

Just hours before the deadline expired, rebels vowed to continue to fight.

"We have not abandoned our choice of jihad and fighting towards implementing our blessed revolution," said Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an alliance led by al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate.

"We appreciate the efforts of all those who strive inside and abroad to protect the liberated area," it said in an apparent reference to Turkey.

"But at the same time, we warn of the deceitfulness of the Russian occupier," it said of President Bashar al-Assad's ally. 

Under the deal, heavy weapons were to have been withdrawn from the horseshoe-shaped buffer by October 10 and fighters to have left by Monday.

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Dolar AS Tembus Rp15.249 Jelang Rilis Neraca Dagang

Nilai tukar rupiah terus melemah hingga level Rp15.249 per dollar(AS) pada Senin (15/10) siang pukul 10.40 WIB. Angka ini merupakan level terendah rupiah dalam setahun.

Sepanjang 2018, nilai tukar rupiah sudah terdepresiasi hingga 12,49 persen, yakni dari level awal tahun Rp13.263 per dolar AS. 

Berdasarkan perhitungan harian, nilai tukar rupiah tercatat melesu 51 poin atau 0,34 persen dibanding nilai tukar rupiah kemarin Rp15.197 per dolar AS. Mata Uang Garuda berada dalam rentang Rp15.225-Rp15.249.

Tak hanya rupiah, nilai tukar mata uang lain di Asia Pasifik juga mengalami kebuntuan, antara lain dolar Hong Kong melemah 0,04 persen, dolar Taiwan melemah Rp0,17 persen, won Korea melemah 0,18 persen, dan peso Filipina melemah 0,14 persen.

Di sisi lain, mata uang sejumlah negara menguat yakni, yen Jepang 0,1 persen, rupee India menguat 0,75 persen, dan yuan China menguat 0,06 persen. 

Sebelumnya, Analis Monex Investindo Dini Nurhadi Yasyi memperkirakan pergerakan rupiah akan dipengaruhi sejumlah sentimen, termasuk pengumuman data neraca perdagangan September 2018.

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Kirab Satu Negeri, Gelar Apel dan Tabur Bunga di TMP Kalibata

GP Ansor menggelar apel kebangsaan dalam rangkaian kirab satu negeri di Taman Makam Pahlawan Nasional Kalibata, Jakarta Selatan, MInggu, 14 Oktober Jakarta

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia -- Pengurus Wilayah (PW) Gerakan Pemuda (GP) Ansor DKI Jakarta meggelar kegiatan Apel Banser dan Doa untuk Bangsa dan Pahlawan, di Taman Makam Pahlawan (TMP) Nasional Kalibata, Jakarta, Minggu (14/10).

Itu merupakan bagian dari agenda Kirab Satu Negeri (KSN) yang dilaksanakan di 34 Provinsi di Indonesia, dan puncaknya bakal digelar di Yogyakarta pada 24 Oktober mendatang.
Ketua PW GP Ansor DKI Jakarta Abdul Aziz menyatakan pihaknya sengaja menggelar kirab dengan apel dan doa untuk bangsa di makam pahlawan tersebut.


"Dengan diselenggarakan di Taman Makam Pahlawan ini kita sekaligus mengenang jasa para pahlawan yang telah memerdekakan dan mempertahankan kemerdekaan bangsa Indonesia, serta berjuang dari segala pengganggu NKRI," katanya seperti dikutip dari rilis yang diterima CNNIndonesia.com.

Azis menerangkan pihaknya bakal mempromosikan semangat #KitaIniSama Bela Agama, Bangsa, dan Negeri. GP Ansor, kata dia, berkomitmen agar tetap selalu menyuarakan kesamaan bagi setiap warga dan masyarakat di Indonesia serta bersemangat untuk selalu membela agama, bangsa, dan negeri.

Aziz mengatakan dalam dinamika saat ini ada sekelompok kecil yang mencoba mengganggu konsensus kebangsaan Indonesia yakni Pancasila, UUD 1945, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, dan negara kesatuan RI.

"Untuk itu, GP Ansor berkewajiban mengingatkan," tegasnya.

Meskipun apel yang digelar PW GP Ansor Jakarta, sosok yang menjadi pemimpin upacara adalah Sekretaris Daerah DKI Jakarta Saefullah. Dalam apel itu pun dihadiri sejumlah unsur perwira TNI dan Polri serta masyarakat lintas agama.

Dalam apel tersebut diserahkan Pataka Bendera Merah Putih Kirab Satu Negeri dari tiga zona, yakni Sabang, Miangas, dan Rote ke PW GP Ansor DKI Jakarta.

Setelah apel, acara dilakukan doa dan upacara tabur bunga para pahlawan di TMP Kalibata tersebut.

"Kami memberikan apresiasi tinggi atas penyelenggaraan Kirab Satu Negeri GP Ansor. Melalui Kirab Satu Negeri masyarakat diingatkan untuk mencintai negeri ini," ujar Saefullah.

Selanjutnya dia mengatakan, Kirab Satu Negeri GP Ansor bersemangat dalam menyuarakan kesamaan bagi setiap warga dan masyarakat di Indonesia.

Puncak Kirab Satu Negeri yang akan dilaksanakan di Yogyakarta tanggal 24 Oktober 2018 nanti rencananya bakal dihadiri pula Presiden RI Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

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Jordan and Syria agree to reopen Naseeb border crossing

Re-opening of Naseeb-Jaber crossing will be a major diplomatic victory for Syria's government [File: Raad Adayleh/AP]

Jordan and Syria have agreed to reopen a vital border crossing between the two countries, three years after the commercial lifeline fell to rebel groups and traffic was halted.

The Naseeb crossing would be opened on October 15, the Jordanian Petra news agency cited Jumana Ghunaimat, spokesperson for Jordan government, as saying on Sunday.

The decision came after technical teams from the two countries met on the Jordanian side. 

The passage, known as Jaber to Jordanians, "is a vital lifeline for trade between the two brotherly countries Jordan and Syria through them to other Arab countries," Ghunaimat said, according to Petra.

However, although the crossing will be officially opened on Monday, it will not open to normal traffic just yet, said Nael Husami, head of the Amman chamber of industry.

Syria's Interior Minister Mohammed al-Shaar also confirmed the crossing's reopening, according to Syria's state news agency.

The move comes after Syrian government troops reclaimed their side of the crossing in July as part of a deal with rebel fighters.

The resumption of commercial trade through the crossing would bring major relief to President Bashar al-Assad's government by restoring a much-needed gateway for Syrian exports to Arab countries.

It would also mark a diplomatic victory for Assad, whose government has been isolated from its Arab neighbours since the war began in 2011.

Arab countries have boycotted the Syrian government since the early days of the war, freezing its membership in the 22-member state Arab League.

Syria's only other normally operating border is with Lebanon. Its frontier with Turkey is only open into rebel-held areas, and its crossing with Iraq is only open for government or military uses.

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GG World Announces Reverse ICO as It Prepares to Offer Regulated Blockchain Lotteries

GG World’s ICO has been announced to start from November 2, 2018, and the investors are keen to discover the benefits of this revolutionary idea, offering completely transparent, online and government-regulated national lotteries to players and interested investors, globally. Identifying a pressing need for disruption in a market which is incredibly popular, yet notably old-fashioned, GG World Lottery has come up with a solution that can bring the industry up-to-speed by implementing blockchain and other state-of-the-art technologies.

With a team of seasoned veterans and innovative approach, the GG World Lottery project stands out from the rest of the projects. Unlike other projects in the crypto-sector, the company has taken a reverse ICO approach to raise funds and build a strong community of interested investors, players, and even governments. The GGC token, to be issued as a part of the token sale also brings special benefits to the participants as token holders.

Why Is GG World ICO Interesting for the Investors?

The upcoming GG World Lottery ICO will undoubtedly become one of the best options to invest in 2018: an extraordinary professional team with a substantial industry background, unique offering with lucrative gains for investors and token holders, an ability to get the lifetime revenue share. By taking part in the GG World reverse ICO, investors will become eligible to receive a reverse share – USP of the platform’s special business model. The model includes the distribution of dividends based on jackpot prize wins. Overall, the platform intends to create a win-win situation for everyone including investors and lottery operators (government or private).

The GG World Lottery platform protects both players and users by employing blockchain nodes. It provides additional transparency by ensuring fairness of draws through the integration of TRNG technology based on Quantis True Random Number Generator. Also, it will utilize the advantages offered by DLT to share profits with eligible community members and respective jurisdictions as per their existing regulatory and legal frameworks. In addition, the platform also allocates a significant percentage of the profits, to be channeled to verified charitable organizations

The Rise of the Online Gambling Industry

For starters, GG World Lottery platform will take care of the issues that come with regulations while improving transparency levels by offering the lottery on Ethereum smart contracts. The platform will run on mobile devices, for added convenience and easy accessibility to the players, which will in turn appeal to more players and give them a chance to participate in world-class lottery programs.

With a model built around security, transparency, ease-of-use, and accessibility, GG World Lottery hopes to tap into unexplored markets such as the African, Asian, and South American continents. Thanks to GG World Lottery blockchain platform, the gambling industry is also set to receive a facelift as it will get rid of outdated lottery hardware such as communication routers, ticket dispensers, monitors, scanners, tickets, and terminals. In addition to removing retailers and other intermediaries from the equation, the platform will provide numerous advantages to the players by enabling them to play right at their homes while eliminating fraudsters from the lottery ecosystem.

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Shells fired from Syria buffer zone, soldiers killed: SOHR

The shelling throws future of a deal to avoid a bloody government offensive on Idlib into uncertainty [Omar Haj Kadour/AFP]

Rebel fighters have fired mortar shells from a planned buffer zone in northwestern Syria, despite an apparent heavy arms pullout days earlier, according to a monitoring group.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said rebels in the demilitarised zone around the northwestern region of Idlib fired several "mortar shells at an army position in nearby Hama province, killing two soldiers" late on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, rebels shelled Aleppo province from other parts of the demilitarised area, with no casualties recorded, according to SOHR.

"This is the first clear violation of the deal since the heavy weapons were withdrawn. This area is supposed to be clear of heavy weapons, including mortar shells," SOHR head Rami Abdel Rahman told the AFP news agency on Sunday.

In a statement on Twitter on Sunday, the group said that government forces had returned fire in a lengthy "exchange of violations" of a deal to rid the enclave of heavy weapons.

Idlib is the last remaining rebel-held area in war-torn Syria.

Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Asaad, struck a deal with Turkey in September to set up a demilitarised zone to prevent a potentially devastating regime assault on Idlib.

The deal required the horseshoe-shaped area to be free of heavy arms by October 10, with "radical fighters" leaving by Monday.

The National Liberation Front (NLF), an umbrella organisation of Turkey-backed rebels, confirmed to Al Jazeera on Wednesday that they had complied with the first part of the deal.

"Our heavy weapons - including tanks and cannons - have been moved to the back lines of the de-militarised zone so that they are no longer a target for the Russian warplanes," NLF spokesperson Naji al-Mustafa, told Al Jazeera.

"We will remain in our defence lines with our small arms and light weapons," he said. 

Before reports of shelling emerged, there had been no signs of rebel fighters leaving the area, according to SOHR.

"We have not monitored any withdrawals by rebel fighters at all from areas falling in the planned buffer zone," a spokesperson from the group said on Sunday. 

A correspondent for AFP in Idlib also said no rebel units had left in recent days. 

Sunday's shelling throws the future of the deal into uncertainty. The agreement, signed on September 17 in the Russian resort city of Sochi, averted a large-scale offensive, which the United Nations has said could cause massive displacement and bloodshed.

The UN warned that such action would provoke a humanitarian disaster in the region, where as many as 800,000 people - half of whom are internally displaced from previous offensives - could be forced to flee again by a regime assault on Idlib and surrounding areas.

Nearly three million people live in the zone now, hundreds of thousands of them already displaced by the brutal seven-year war and others heavily dependent on humanitarian aid to survive.

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