As the cease-fire crumbled Monday, the watchdog Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported airstrikes and clashes on the ground near Homs and Aleppo, killing at least one woman and leaving multiple people injured. On multiple key issues – including whether Assad should even remain as head of state – the US and Russian Federation don’t agree.
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“We just began today to see real movement of humanitarian goods, and let’s see where we are”, Kerry said in NY, where he’s meeting other world leaders as part of the annual meetings of the United Nations General Assembly.
Neither Kerry nor Lavrov spoke to reporters Tuesday morning at the Palace Hotel in NY.
“The Syrian Army had announced a freeze on fighting until Sunday night, but as Russian Federation announced an extension, it will end on Monday at 7:00pm (1600 GMT)”, the source told AFP.
Also Tuesday, the Observatory said government forces launched an offensive in the Handarat area, just north of the city of Aleppo, in what appears to be an attempt to tighten the siege on rebel-held parts of Syria’s largest city.
United Nations officials said the United Nations and Red Crescent convoy was delivering assistance for 78,000 people in the town of Uram al-Kubra, west of Aleppo city.
The Syrian Civil Defense, the volunteer first responder group also known as the White Helmets, confirmed that casualty figure.
The latest developments placed added importance on a meeting Tuesday of the International Syria Support Group, or ISSG. Those seven days of calm and aid deliveries were required before the USA and Russian Federation could embark on a plan to cooperate in targeting the Islamic State group and al-Qaida affiliates working in Syria.
On Monday, the US was even stronger in its criticism. -Russian coordination center to plan military strikes against the Islamic State group and a powerful al-Qaida-linked militant faction. “The cease-fire is in danger, is being seriously affected”, he said, but only the USA and Russian Federation could declare it over.
“This might put in danger this Joint Implementation Center that the U.S. and the Russians are supposed to set up in the next few days to coordinate just these kinds of strikes against ISIS and to prevent just what happened”, he said.
Shortly after Syria’s armed forces declared that the truce was dead and blamed opposition rebels for undermining it, Kerry noted that the cease-fire had not produced the desired reduction in violence and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid.
George Sabra, of the opposition High Negotiations Committee, told The Associated Press on Monday that the truce has been repeatedly violated and did not succeed in its main objective – opening roads for aid to enter besieged rebel-held areas.
But from the start, the truce has been beset by difficulties and mutual accusations of violations.
United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien said he was “pained” that Aleppo had still not received promised aid deliveries.
Syria’s military has declared a week-long ceasefire over with air raids reported in Aleppo as United States and Russian officials met in Geneva to try to extend the truce. Moscow backs Assad and Washington supports rebels seeking to topple him.
“This step (cease-fire) was to constitute a real chance to stop the bloodshed”. “The armed terrorist groups took advantage of the declared truce system and mobilized terrorists and weapons and regrouped to continue its attacks on civilian and military areas”.
“Despite continued attacks by the regime on opposition positions, we have witnessed a measure of reduced violence over the last week”, Kirby said.
Syrian President Bashar al Assad pointed to the strike as an act of “flagrant aggression”. Much of that aid had been destroyed, they said.
The coalition’s weekend attack killed 62 Syrian soldiers.
“With the rebels failing to fulfill conditions the cease-fire agreement, we consider its unilateral observance by the Syrian government forces meaningless”, Rudskoi said. The American military said it may have unintentionally hit the group while carrying out operations against IS; the strike was halted when Russian Federation informed the US of the apparent mistake.
Also Monday, the opposition reported 254 violations by government forces and their allies since the truce started on September 12.
Meanwhile, Syrian state TV reported that government warplanes attacked positions of the Islamic State group in eastern Deir el-Zour province on Monday.
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The US has expressed regret for the strikes, saying that they were meant to target ISIS militants and that if they struck Syrian troops it was accidental.
