But even as diplomats touted the agreement as a path to peace, a barrage of air strikes on the northwestern city of Idlib killed 24 people and wounded dozens.
Advertisement
Secretary of State John Kerry announced Friday that the US and Russian Federation have reached a plan to reduce violence in war-torn Syria and allow humanitarian access.
The New York Times notes that American officials don’t seem very optimistic that the plan will work, since they believe that Russian Federation or the Syrian regime are trustworthy actors in the conflict.
The opposition had indicated it was prepared to comply with the plan, he said, provided the Syrian government “shows it is serious”.
Activist Yasin Abu Raed, who is based in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, said the situation inside the local hospitals there is “miserable”.
The agreement envisages joint US-Russian military strikes against militant groups in Syria, including Daesh.
“The fighting is flaring on all the fronts of southern Aleppo but the clashes in Amiryah are the heaviest”, said Captain Abdul Salam Abdul Razak, the military spokesman of the rebel Nour al-Din al Zinki Brigades. But among the points agreed on there is the creation of a Russian-American center for coordinating the separation between terrorists and opposition, another to demarcate the areas of action of the Russian and U.S. aviation, and other guaranteeing humanitarian access.
Egypt welcomed Saturday a US-Russia sponsored truce in war-torn Syria, and called on all parties to adhere to the ceasefire, scheduled to take effect across all Syria Monday, a foreign affairs ministry statement read.
On Sunday, Syrian government forces were reported to have recaptured parts of Aleppo which were lost to rebels last month, placing rebel-held districts in the city’s east once again under siege.
Both sides agreed not to release the documents publicly.
The deal agreed by Moscow and Washington calls for a halt to fighting across the country and increased humanitarian aid for the battered city of Aleppo.
The US and Russian Federation support opposite sides in the conflict that began in 2011: Washington backs a coalition of rebel groups it describes as moderate, while Moscow is seen as a key ally of President Assad.
But there have been signs of greater harmony between Ankara and Moscow on Syria since a June deal to normalise their own ties following the crisis over the shooting down of a Russian war plane.
“We must go after these terrorists”, Kerry said.
But both Kerry and Lavrov said the plan represents the best available chance to end the fighting between Assad and the mainstream opposition rebels, while still targeting Al Nusra jihadist rebels and Islamic State extremists.
At the press conference, Kerry announced that both states reached agreements, which he expects may end the suffering of the Syrian people and allow going over to the beginning of a political process. And Secretary of State John Kerry is really enthusiastic the plan will work this time.
Advertisement
Turkey, which made a major military incursion into the north of Syria two weeks ago, said it was preparing aid for Aleppo once the truce was in place.
