Renewed hope for peace talks as Syria truce holds

A FRAGILE calm was holding across Syria yesterday after a truce brokered by Russia and Turkey came into effect, a potential breakthrough after nearly six years of conflict.

There were reports of isolated violence, including clashes in central Hama province between government forces and jihadist factions.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were casualties among regime forces in the clashes after midnight with jihadists near the town of Mahardeh.

The fighters were believed to be from a faction that did not sign the ceasefire announced on Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and confirmed by Syria’s army and mainstream opposition bodies.

The Observatory reported other minor violations, including the firing of a single missile by regime forces in southern Daraa province, but said the truce was holding.

The ceasefire is the first nationwide truce to be implemented in the country since September, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakhstan sponsored by Russia and Turkey.

Syria’s government hailed the agreement as a “real opp to find a political solution to the war, which has killed more than 310 000 people since it began with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

The agreement comes a week after the regime, which is backed by ally Russia, recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

Syria’s conflict has become a complex multi-front battle, with a range of outside players intervening, including Russia, which launched a military campaign to bolster President Bashar al-Assad last year.

Putin said yesterday he would now reduce Moscow’s military contingent in Syria.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasised that Ankara would continue an operation it began in August targeting the Islamic State group and Kurdish fighters.

Despite backing opposite sides in the conflict, Turkey and Russia brokered a deal this month to allow the evacuation of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo.

They are pushing for peace talks between Damascus and the rebels to start next month. — AFP