The U.S. and Russian Federation have agreed on a cessation of hostilities for Syria that is set to take effect at midnight Friday, local Damascus time.
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The ceasefire agreement brokered by Moscow and Washington calls for a “cessation of hostilities” between Russian-backed President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and opposition groups from midnight Friday Damascus time (2200 GMT).
The United Nations said it expected breaches in the temporary truce and urged restraint in curbing any new outbreaks of fighting.
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that since the truce kicked in there has been relative calm in many parts of the country.
If the cessation of hostilities holds, it would be the first time global negotiations have brought any degree of quiet in Syria’s five-year civil war.
The United Nations will name a date on Friday for Syria’s warring parties to return to the negotiating table for a second round of talks, United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday.
A top aide to Turkey’s president says Saudi military aircraft that will join the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria have begun arriving at an air base in southern Turkey.
Importantly, it does not cover powerful jihadist groups such as ISIS and the Nusra Front – Al Qaeda’s branch in Syria. “The coming hours and days will be critical, and the world is watching”, he said.
“Today, the Russian Defense Ministry held a briefing regarding the beginning of the truce actions in Syria”.
It would seek to deal with any infractions through diplomatic channels, he said, adding that “a military response should be… the last resort”.
Citing a military source, Syrian state TV said “terrorist groups” have fired rockets from neighbourhoods east of Damascus.
Three fighters from the rebel First Coastal Division, which is part of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) were killed while repelling the attack, Fadi Ahmad, the group’s spokesman, said.
“It is clear that after years of barbarity against his people, many will not stop fighting until Assad is out of power”, he said.
“There were at least 25 air strikes on Eastern Ghouta”, a main rebel bastion where the predominant opposition faction is the Jaish al-Islam movement, Abdel Rahman said.
Although no Russian airstrikes have been reported in Syria since the agreement went into effect, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russian warplanes would continue targeting positions associated with terrorist groups – such as Daesh – operating in the country.
Responsibility for addressing violations falls to the United States and Russian Federation, co-chairs of the International Support Group for Syria (ISSG) – not the U.N.
‘It is a violation (of the agreement),’ Ahmad said, describing the attack as a ground assault with no air strikes.
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Nusra Front leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani rejected the cease-fire saying that his militants will continue fighting and calling on Syrians not to trust the West and America.
