A Syrian truce brokered by Russia and Turkey was under growing strain on Monday as rebels vowed to respond to government violations and President Bashar Al-Assad said the Army would retake an important rebel-held area near Damascus.
Mr. Assad, in comments to French media, also said his government was ready to negotiate on “everything” at peace talks that his Russian allies hope to convene in Kazakhstan, including his own position within the framework of the Syrian Constitution.
But he indicated any new Constitution must be put to a referendum and it was up to Syrians to elect their President.
The latest fighting has been especially intense near Damascus where the Army and allied militia are trying to capture a rebel-held area that includes the main water source supplying Damascus. It was bombed out of service more than two weeks ago.
Mr. Assad blamed truce violations on the insurgents, and said the Army must “prevent terrorists from using the water to throttle the capital”. He said it was the army's job to recapture the Wadi Barada area, which he said had been occupied by a jihadist group not covered by the ceasefire. Rebels deny the area is in jihadist hands.
The spokesman for one of the rebel groups that signed the ceasefire said rebel leaders had concluded they could not continue abiding the truce in what he described as a “unilateral way", and they would respond to attacks by the other side. — Reuters
