World powers must identify which of the dozens of rebel groups fighting in Syria are “terrorists” before resuming talks on establishing a limited cease-fire and moving toward a solution to the conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Advertisement
“We think that it is premature to have that meeting”, said State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Tradeau.
“Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad also said Damascus had not received official notice of any meeting with members of the Syrian opposition, after a Russian official said Moscow might bring them together next week”.
Yet, with Russian Federation and Iran resisting Western and Saudi Arabian pressure to force Assad away from power, it looks as hard as ever for the major players in the region to bridge their differences in a short time. De Mistura called on talks to continue immediately without preconditions, and said all of the Syrian opposition must be represented.
Moscow’s military force in Syria has grown to about 4,000 personnel, but this and more than a month of Russian air strikes have not led to pro-government forces making significant territorial gains, USA security officials and independent experts said.
Iranian media agency Fars reported that the Syrian army had also regained control of al-Fark mountain in the coastal province of Latakia after fierce clashes with opposition forces.
This story was first published on CNN.com, “Russian official opens door to Assad’s exit, says Syrian people should decide”.
Moscow said it had set up “working coordination groups” aimed at bolstering the fight against the Islamic State, but said the identities of those involved were being kept secret.
Syria’s skies are becoming increasingly crowded as Russian Federation and a US-led coalition carry out separate air campaigns.
He said the Syrian government has agreed to participate but it’s unclear which opposition groups might come.
“As we accelerate our own work with Turkey and other like-minded partners to roll back ISIL in northern Syria, a collateral benefit could be the creation of a space where Syrian civilians are free from Assad’s barrel bombs, as well as ISIL’s atrocities”, she said.
The report was confirmed by the Britain-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Moscow said on Tuesday that it had hit 2,084 targets in 1,631 sorties, including 52 training camps and 287 command posts, causing “significant losses to the terrorists” and undermining their morale.
Advertisement
At least 23 people were killed on Tuesday in air strikes across the city.
