The cease-fire does not cover territory held by the Islamic State group. S. – Russian Federation cease-fire agreement reached earlier this week, and within days, both were accusing the other of violations of that agreement.
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The apparently errant strike could deal a crushing blow to the fragile cease-fire that has largely held for five days despite dozens of alleged violations on both sides.
In a further sign of tensions picking up, the Obama administration warned Russian Federation that potential military cooperation in Syria will not happen unless humanitarian aid begins to flow into Aleppo and other besieged communities. It said earlier that only 30 soldiers had been killed, citing the same source.
Syrian troops withdrew from a main road leading to the besieged rebel-held part of the city for hours before returning to their positions later Friday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
“Sixty-two Syrian soldiers were killed and a hundred others were injured in these strikes”.
Under the cease-fire agreement, the US and Russian Federation would work together to target the Fatah al-Sham Front, as well as the Islamic State group, while Assad’s forces refrain from striking opposition-held areas.
A senior Obama administration official told ABC News that the US had “relayed our regret” to the Syrian government through Russian officials.
But Washington has warned Russian Federation that unless aid is delivered to Aleppo, it will not move ahead with the formation of the joint coordination centre.
Sustained delivery of humanitarian aid, along with a decrease in violence, is a requirement for that cooperation under an agreement Kerry and Lavrov reached last week.
The cease-fire is meant to help set the state for peace talks to end Syria’s civil war, now in its sixth year. The airstrike came only five days into the breakthrough ceasefire agreement between the United States and Russian Federation that called for the two parties to coordinate strikes and for the Obama administration to levy more pressure against the so-called moderate rebels to disband from al-Nusra Front terrorists.
The Security Council had been scheduled to meet Friday to discuss the agreement, but the session was cancelled at the last minute because the USA did not want to make the details public, according to Russian and us officials.
Jan Egeland, the top humanitarian aid official in de Mistura’s office, said the United Nations could reach its target areas in the country within a “few days” once it received authorization.
Russian Federation is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
“However, a Syrian army unit is still inside the airbase”.
Syrian activists reported that Russian troops were deploying along the road, while the Russian Defense Ministry only mentioned it had military observers on the road.
The Syrian government, meanwhile, accused insurgents of firing a rocket that hit a church in the government-held side of Aleppo, causing material damage but no casualties. It said three shells were also fired at the government-held southern village of Hadar.
The SANA news agency says the projectile hit the second floor of the Syriac Catholic Church in the city’s government-held neighborhood of Aziziyeh.
The Syrian government has not provided needed “facilitation letters”, or permits, to allow for the start of the convoys, de Mistura said.
Russian generals have said rebel groups have increased attacks in Syria despite the ceasefire – and have urged the USA to act.
“This is one of the most serious violations of the cease-fire”, al-Shami said via Skype. State media, in turn, accused insurgents of launching an attack, drawing retaliation by government forces.
The truce has been holding despite some violations, with the Syrian opposition on Thursday reporting 46 cease-fire violations around the country.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reached agreement on five documents, which they said would not be publicly released.
