“The fighting is flaring on all the fronts of southern Aleppo”, said Captain Abdul Salam Abdul Razak, a rebel spokesman of the Nour al-Din al Zinki Brigades, which form part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
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No measures were described that would hold any parties to account if they violated the terms of a deal that is being struck at a time when the United States has little leverage over Russian Federation in Syria.
At least 90 people were killed in airstrikes in northern Syria just hours after the U.S. and Russian Federation reached an agreement on a ceasefire, set to begin on Monday, authorities announced. The Military Media said late Saturday that the truce is an opportunity that everyone should take for the interest of the Syrian people.
Under the deal, fighting would halt across the country at sundown on Monday and Syria’s air force would stop attacking rebel-held areas.
Some of the air strikes are believed to have hit the towns of Anadan and Hreitan near Aleppo, Syria’s second city.
“Today, the United States and Russian Federation are announcing a plan which we hope will reduce violence, ease suffering, and resume movement towards a negotiated peace and a political transition in Syria”, Kerry said.
Turkey is hailing a new U.S.
The Syrian opposition yesterday cautiously welcomed the ceasefire deal agreed by Moscow and Washington that could also see the first joint military campaign by the two powers against militants.
Previous peace efforts have crumbled within weeks, with the United States accusing Assad’s forces of attacking opposition groups and civilians.
The U.S. and Russia Now, are also lining up in an unexpected new military partnership targeting the IS and al-Qaeda-linked militants.
Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, one of the most powerful factions in Syria, is part of the Fatah Army coalition that played an instrumental role in the fighting against Assad’s forces over the past year in northern Syria. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and other Obama administration officials raised questions over whether either Russian Federation or the Assad government would comply with the terms.
“The fact that the Syrian government is indirectly taking part in this deal – because Russian Federation is being asked to pressure it – this is indirect acknowledgement that this factor (Assad’s presence) exists and there is nothing to do about it”, Lukyanov said.
The deal culminates months of frenetic diplomacy that included four meetings between Kerry and Lavrov since August 26, and a lengthy face-to-face in China between Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Geneva negotiating session, which lasted more than 13 hours, underscored the complexity of a conflict that includes myriad militant groups, shifting alliances and the rival interests of the US and Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Turkey and the Kurds.
On the ground, residents were split on whether a truce could hold, saying they were exhausted after several rounds of failed ceasefires, most recently in February.
“More importantly, Washington has finally agreed to joint military action” against jihadist groups, it wrote.
Both sides agreed not to release the documents publicly.
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Assad’s forces also seized more territory outside Aleppo, tightening the siege of opposition areas, according to the Syrian news agency SANA. Basma Kodmani, a leader of the rebel’s High Negotiations Committee, expressed hope that the deal would aid civilians.
