Syrian government forces pressed ahead with their offensive in the water-rich Barada Valley, northwest of Damascus, on Tuesday as 10 rebel groups said they were suspending talks with the regime.
A ceasefire, brokered by Russia and Turkey, is meant to be followed by talks later this month in the Kazakh capital of Astana between mainstream rebel factions and government representatives.
The U.N. Security Council on Saturday unanimously adopted a resolution supporting efforts by Russia and Turkey, which support opposing sides of the Syria war, to end the nearly six-year conflict and jump-start peace negotiations.
But the nationwide four-day-old truce is looking increasingly shaky, with opposition factions angered in particular about the ongoing military offensive in the strategically-important Barada Valley.
The government and the opposition disagree about whether the region is part of the ceasefire agreement, which excludes extremist factions such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda’s affiliate, known as Fatah al-Sham Front. The text of the document was never released to the public.
The Syrian government says the mountainous region is not part of the ceasefire because of the presence of Fatah al-Sham. Local activists deny any militant presence in the area.
Opposition activists on Tuesday reported heavy bombardment of villages in the region. The opposition’s Civil Defense First responders reported at least nine government air strikes since Sunday, as well as acute shortages of medical supplies. Six people have been killed and 73 have been wounded, it said.
Lives under threat
In a statement posted late Monday, 10 rebel factions said they were “freezing all discussions regarding the Astana negotiations or any other consultations regarding the ceasefire agreement until it is fully implemented”. They include the powerful Army of Islam group, which operates mainly outside the Syrian capital.
It said the violations in the Barada Valley are continuing and “threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.” — AP