Monday 29 February 2016

First test for Syrian truce after breaches reported on both sides

The Syrian ceasefire is facing its first serious test after Syrian opposition leaders claimed it was close to collapse and the French government called for a meeting of the monitoring body amid allegations that Syrian and Russian forces had seriously breached its terms.
The ceasefire came into force on Friday night and was widely thought to have held on the first day, but the Syrian High Negotiating Council (HNC), which represents rebel factions, said on Sunday that breaches had nullified the process.
The International Syria Support Group (ISSG) will meet in Geneva at the request of the French to examine whether the alleged breaches were deliberate, the product of competing misinterpretations of the ceasefire, or military error.
The French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, said: “We have received indications that attacks, including by air, have been continuing against zones controlled by the moderate opposition.

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