Marketplace near Aleppo struck in possible new push by govt forces.

Road to embattled city of Aleppo had been closed since August.

Said he would refrain from seeking a third term — if he feels that's what most Syrians want him to do.

Conflict has seen rebels turning against each other.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's foreign minister says "reasonable" representatives of the armed opposition to Syrian President Bashar Assad could take part in prospective peace talks with the regime.

Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that the West should help encourage those rebels who don't harbor "extremist or terrorist views" to join the talks to settle the 2 ½-year conflict.

The U.N. Security Council, which last week endorsed an international plan for Syria to destroy its chemical weapons, has called for a peace conference to be convened "as soon as possible."

Several groups say they reject authority of Western-backed coalition.

"Could change" if "certain that Assad is cheating" on chemical weapons.

A high-ranking Syrian official hailed the U.S.-Russian agreement on securing Syria's chemical weapons, but the U.S. warned "the threat of force is real" if Damascus fails to carry out the plan.

The U.S. secretary of state is seeking to ensure Russian proposal will be intrusive and enforceable.

The crisis over chemical weapons in Syria has underlined a central dilemma for the West as it tries to deal with the country's civil war — the lack of attractive alternatives to President Bashar Assad.