BEIRUT: Washington and Moscow have announced that a cessation of hostilities in Syria will go into effect on Feb. 27, as fierce clashes raged in the country’s north.
The announcement comes just one day after the deadliest terrorist attack in the nearly five-year war, with 134 people — mostly civilians — killed in a series of blasts near Damascus.
In a joint statement, Russia and the US said the cessation of hostilities would not apply to Daesh or Al-Nusra Front.
The statement said other parties engaged in fighting on the ground must indicate to Russia or the US whether they would take part in the agreement by midday Damascus time on Feb. 26.
It said the opposition and the Syrian government must agree to allow “rapid, unhindered, and sustained” humanitarian aid access and to cease all attacks — whether aerial bombardment or otherwise — on other parties to the agreement.
A spokesman for the High Negotiations Committee — the main grouping of opposition factions in Syria — said rebel groups were “studying the agreement.”
Riad Naasan Agha said that the HNC had discussed the cease-fire with the US special envoy to Syria Michael Ratney, but would not comment on whether it will agree to the proposal.
The HNC, meeting in Riyadh on Monday, has said any cease-fire must include provisions for Russia, Iran and foreign militia forces that back the regime to stop fighting.
Turkey welcomed the cease-fire and said it wanted to see an end to Russian bombardments.
Syria cease-fire ‘must apply checks on Iranian militias’
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