BEIRUT: Syrian government forces pressed their offensive in a water-rich valley north-west of Damascus on Tuesday as 10 rebel groups announced they are suspending talks about planned peace negotiations because of what they described as government violations of a ceasefire deal.
The truce, brokered by Russia and Turkey, is meant to be followed by talks later this month in the Kazakh capital of Astana between mainstream rebel factions and government representatives.
The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously adopted a resolution supporting efforts by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in Syrias civil war, to end the nearly six-year conflict and jump-start peace negotiations.
But the nationwide four-day-old ceasefire is looking increasingly shaky, with opposition factions angered in particular about the ongoing military offensive in the strategically important Barada Valley.
The government and the opposition disagree about whether the region is part of the ceasefire agreement, which excludes extremist factions such as the militant Islamic State group and Al Qaedas affiliate, known as the Fatah al-Sham Front. The text of the document was never released to the public.
The Syrian government says the mountainous region is not part of the ceasefire because of the presence of the Fatah al-Sham Front. Local activists deny any militant presence in the area.
Opposition activists, including the Barada Valley Media Center, on Tuesday reported heavy bombardment of villages there. The oppositions Civil Defence first responders reported at least nine government air strikes since Sunday, as well as acute shortages of medical supplies. Six people have been killed and 73 have been wounded, it said.
In a statement posted late on Monday, 10 rebel factions said they were freezing all discussions regarding the Astana negotiations or any other consultations regarding the ceasefire agreement until it is fully implemented. They include the powerful Army of Islam group, which operates mainly outside the Syrian capital.
It said the violations in the Barada Valley are continuing and threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The statement also said that the opposition will consider any military changes made on the ground to be a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement that renders it null.
The Barada Valley, which is controlled by rebels and is surrounded by pro-government forces, including the Lebanese Iran-backed Hezbollah group, is the primary source of water for Damascus and surrounding areas. The fighting has cut off the capitals main sources of water, resulting in severe shortages since Dec 22.
The ceasefire agreement, which went into effect early Friday, is supposed to pave the way for the government and the opposition to meet for talks for the first time in nearly a year in the second half of January. Those talks will be mediated by Russia, Turkey and Iran, though Russian officials have said other key players, including the United States, are welcome to participate.
In the northern province of Idlib, Al Qaedas affiliate, the Fatah al-Sham Front, said more than 20 people were killed as a result of US-led coalition airstrikes that targeted one of its command centres.
The statement released on the groups Telegram channel did not give further details, but opposition activists said dozens of people were killed and wounded in the air strikes that struck the groups position near the village of Sarmada in the Idlib countryside.
The attack follows an air raid late on Sunday that struck several cars travelling on a road leading from Sarmada to the Bab al-Hawa area near the border with Turkey, killing at least eight people, including Al Qaeda-linked fighters and a senior commander with Chinese Islamic militant faction, according to opposition groups and a local jihadi commander.
The US has killed some of Al Qaedas most senior commanders in Syria over the past two years in air strikes. It was not immediately clear who was behind the Sunday and Tuesday attacks.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
