Malahfki added that he had not received a response from the USA government.
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-Russian brokered cease-fire for Syria came into effect on Monday at sunset, with monitoring groups and state media reporting clashes up until the final minutes, and the most powerful rebel groups having yet to commit to the truce.
Under the terms, if it holds for seven days, the United States and Russian Federation will undertake a new collaboration of airstrikes against jihadist militants in Syria, and the Syrian air force will be barred from flying over insurgent-held areas.
The army said it reserves the right to respond to any breach by the rebels.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the ceasefire, which it said would start at 1600 GMT, would be monitored using drones and that the Syrian army had said it was ready to diligently do its bit to uphold the agreement.
A rebel commander in northern Syria said there was “cautious calm” at the start of the ceasefire.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 18 militants were killed fighting government forces in the push in the south.
The parties agreed that if a ceasefire works for a week-long initial period, the United States and Russian Federation would establish a Joint Implementation Center, where the countries would share data and begin to bomb militants in Syria.
Notable signatories of the open letter condemning the United Nations in Syria include the Syrian Civil Defense Force (White Helmets) and SAMS – both groups who have had their facilities targeted by the Syrian and Russian Air Force.
The agreement comes at a time when Assad’s position on the battlefield is stronger than it has been since the earliest months of the war, thanks to Russian and Iranian military support.
Russia’s intervention in the Syrian war a year ago has tilted it in Assad’s favor, after rebel advances had posed a growing threat to his rule.
The suburb, previously held by the rebels, surrendered last month and reverted to Damascus’ control after four years of government siege.
Syrian President Bashar Assad says his government is determined to “reclaim every area from the terrorists, and to rebuild” the country.
Kerry said the accord, announced after hours of talks in Geneva, would prevent Assad’s air force from flying combat missions anywhere the opposition is present, calling this provision the “bedrock of the agreement”. That raises the danger that continued airstrikes will draw rebels into retaliation, eventually leading to the cease-fire’s collapse, much as previous attempts earlier this year fell apart. The new truce has official support from countries on both sides, including both Iran, Assad’s ally, and Turkey, a major sponsor of the insurgency against him.
But maintaining the ceasefire means overcoming big challenges, including separating nationalist rebels who would be protected under it from jihadist fighters who are excluded. “We don’t trust the regime and there are no actions that will be taken in case the regime violates the truce”, FSA representative Zakaria Malahfki said.
In the hours before the ceasefire took effect, fighting raged on several key frontlines, including Aleppo and the southern province of Quneitra. The Russians, however, pin their hopes on the USA ability to ensure the opposition groups Washington has been supporting refrain from violence and separate themselves from Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. Opposition fighters are expected to separate from militant groups in areas such as Aleppo.
But distinguishing protected rebels from jihadists is hard, particularly with regards to a group formerly called the Nusra Front, which was al Qaeda’s Syria branch until it changed its name in July.
But it is unclear whether rebel factions will abide by it. But he said the government could continue going after al-Qaida-linked militants in certain, unspecified areas.
Nearly every rebel faction with Jihadists in its ranks seems to be reluctant to be part of the deal.
“We come here today to replace the false freedom they tried to market at the beginning of the crisis, including about Darayya, with the real freedom; the freedom that starts with restoring security and safety, goes through reconstruction and ends with the independent national decision”, Assad said.
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The week-long truce also includes improving humanitarian aid access and a joint military operation against banned terrorist groups.
