The fragile ceasefire is supposed to reduce violence over the next week, before new USA and Russian airstrikes begin on extremist groups such as Isis and al-Qaeda allied militants.
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The Nusra Front changed its name in July, announcing it cut links with the al-Qaida terror network. A new U.S. -Russia coalition will step in to target former Nusra Front militants, and Assad’s forces will no longer be permitted to. And government supporters doubt that the opposition groups will distance themselves from the extremists, as the Americans have promised. While the statement did not explicitly back the ceasefire, rebel sources said the groups were abiding by it.
More than 2,000 people have been killed in fighting over the past 40 days in the city, including 700 civilians and 160 children, according to a Syrian human rights group.
Opposition rebel militias and the Free Syrian Army have criticized the agreement but did not move to violate it.
Just moments before the ceasefire came into force, the Observatory reported three people killed in regime shelling of Douma near Damascus.
The group says the real death toll could be 70,000 higher since many insurgent groups don’t announce their deaths and because there are other deaths that are not documented. Additionally, the United States and Russian Federation brokered a similar ceasefire in February, but only days later, there were still several airstrikes in the Aleppo region.
In the 12-minute video, the narrator mocks USA and Western intelligence agencies for being unable to prevent IS fighters from carrying out attacks in France, Belgium and Germany.
If the cease-fire does hold, it will bring a respite from this kind of carnage.
The deal calls for a halt to the violence between the Syrian regime and rebel forces.
Kerry said: “There will be undoubtedly be reports of violations here and there and that’s the nature of ceasefires”. It said the mortar round was sacked from Syrian government-controlled territory.
Ankara’s incursion last month into northern Syria has helped Syrian rebels retake Jarablus from the Islamic State group.
A nationwide cessation of hostilities entered into effect across Syria on Monday evening, a diplomatic breakthrough that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry touted as “the last chance that one has to save a united Syria”. A cease-fire took effect at sunset Monday.
The United States and Russian Federation previously coordinated a partial ceasefire in February.
The deal was struck on Friday in Geneva after months of talks between Russian Federation and the US.
“We live in a state of expectation in the absence of any signs showing that the Syrian regime and Russian Federation would respect the ceasefire and a mystery surrounding the deal”, a leading source from the High Negotiation Committees (HNC) told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
“We are ready to get assistance into Aleppo right away”, said Dominic Graham, Syria Response Director for global aid agency Mercy Corps. Ramouseh was where rebels broke through a government siege of east Aleppo in early August, cutting the main route into the government-held west. We are determined to restore peace and security.
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“We are asking for guarantees especially from the United States, which is a party to the agreement”, Muslet told AFP.
