Syria conflict: Brahimi seeks Iran help to secure truce

UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has appealed for Iranian help to implement a ceasefire in Syria over the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Following a visit to Tehran, Mr Brahimi said such a ceasefire could "allow a political process to develop."
Meanwhile, Turkey said the number of Syrian refugees in its camps now exceeded 100,000, BBC reports.

Turkey also searched a Syrian-bound Armenian plane after forcing it to land in the city of Erzurum, reports said.
It was not immediately clear why the plane was made to land.

Last week, Turkey forced a Syrian plane to land, claiming that it was carrying Russian-made "munitions" for the Syrian army. Syria strongly denied the claims.

Inside Syria, the Umayyad Mosque in the old city of Aleppo - the most important mosque in the city - was reported to have been badly damaged as government troops retook it from rebels late on Sunday.