The Latest: Reports: IS offensive kills 15 Syrian civilians
BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest Syria developments (all times local):
4:15 p.m.
Syrian state media and monitoring group say that at least 15 civilians have been killed in an Islamic State offensive on a government-held area in Syria.
The reports gave different death tolls for the IS attack on the village of Aqarab al-Safiyeh in central Syria.
State news agency SANA says 20 civilians were killed after IS militants stormed parts of the village and that 45 were wounded. The agency says women and children were among the dead, and that some were beheaded.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 52 people were killed in the fighting, with the dead including 15 civilians, 27 Syrian soldiers and 10 unidentified people.
According to the Observatory, IS attacked several government-held villages in the area on Thursday, capturing parts of them. Most of the residents belong to the Ismaili branch of Shiite Islam.
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3:20 p.m.
The United Nations special envoy for Syria says discussions have begun on a constitutional process as part of his mediation efforts to end the six-year-old civil war.
The office of Staffan de Mistura said Thursday there would be an expert-level meeting with representatives of the Syrian government delegation "on issues and ideas on constitutional process."
Meanwhile, the Syrian opposition said in a statement it sought clarification on 13 points including the mandate of the body and its frame of reference.
The envoy's proposal said the aim was to avoid a legal "vacuum" during an eventual political transition period.
Opposition spokesman Salem Meslet says talks are focusing on "the constitutional ground for a political transition process based on the formation of a body with full executive powers."
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1:30 p.m.
The Islamic State group has launched an offensive against government forces in central Syria near the highway that links the capital Damascus to the northern city of Aleppo.
Thursday's attack comes as government forces are on the offensive against the extremists in other parts of Syria.
Syria's state news agency SANA said troops and pro-government gunmen repelled the IS attack on villages in Hama province.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS captured several army positions in the area and killed nine troops. It said troops launched a counteroffensive under the cover of airstrikes.
State TV said two people were wounded in IS shelling on the nearby town of Salamiyeh.
The IS-linked Aamaq news agency confirmed an attack is ongoing in the area without giving details.