The Assad regime warned that any action in Syria without its approval would be regarded as aggression, but offered to work with any country fighting the Islamic State in Syria or Iraq. UN mediator Stefan de Mistura met with President Assad. The Al Nusrah Front released the 45 Fijian UN peacekeepers it kidnapped two weeks ago; it is unclear if any of its demands were met, but Sheik Abu Muhammad al Maqdisi was involved in the negotiations, as was Qatar. The UN said no ransom was paid for the Fijians’ release. The Islamic State began evacuating positions in al Bab in Aleppo, reportedly to spare civilians from injury in the case of regime or US airstrikes. The IS has seized 13 towns in northern Aleppo since mid-August. A Jordanian sharia judge for Al Nusrah was assassinated in Idlib. Regime forces clashed with the Islamic State in Deir Izzour. The OPCW is investigating reports of toxic material being dropped from helicopters, as recently as Aug. 28 in Kafr Zeita in Hama.
