Russia Urges Cessation of Hostilities in Syria's Daraya, Eastern Ghouta
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russia has called for a 72-hour regime of silence in Eastern Ghouta and Daraya from Tuesday amid deadlocked efforts to turn a cessation of hostilities into a lasting peace in the war-torn country.
"In order to stabilize the situation the Russian reconciliation center is calling for a 72-hour regime of silence in Eastern Ghouta and Daraya" from Tuesday, the head of the Russian coordination center in Syria, Sergei Kuralenko, was quoted as saying by the defense ministry late Monday.
Kuralenko reiterated Moscow's call for opposition groups to withdraw from areas controlled by the Al-Nusra Front and break ranks with the extremists, saying Russia would keep targeting the militants.
Citing data from Russian monitors and Syrian intelligence, Kuralenko said that Al-Nusra Front extremists and opposition groups in Eastern Ghouta and suburbs of Damascus had regrouped and re-armed and were now preparing for an offensive.
"These conclusions and estimates have been confirmed by non-stop fire on Syrian armed forces in Eastern Ghouta and living quarters in Damascus," Kuralenko was quoted as saying, AFP reported.
In the vicinity of Aleppo, Al-Nusra Front leaders were putting together a major attack force numbering some 6,000 fighters in order to blockade government forces in the city, among other goals, he said.
The United States and Russia are co-partners in the so-called Vienna diplomatic process of the International Support Group for Syria, which met last week in the Austrian capital but made no notable progress.
The 20 world and regional powers taking part in the process have so far failed to turn a fragile cessation of hostilities in Syria, in effect since February 27, into a durable truce between the government and opposition groups.
Last week Moscow proposed that Russia and the United States launch joint airstrikes against Al-Nusra Front extremists in Syria but Washington rejected the proposal.
