Aleppo battles cast shadow over Syria peace talks

BEIRUT: Fierce fighting raged Friday around Syria’s Aleppo as a surge in violence forced tens of thousands more to flee their homes, overshadowing the latest round of peace talks in Geneva.

The clashes on several fronts have put a strain on a fragile ceasefire in place since February 27, and left more than 200 fighters on all sides of the civil war dead in the past week.

US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Russia to press its Syrian allies to respect the ceasefire.

The delegation representing President Bashar al-Assad’s regime arrived Friday in Geneva for UN-brokered indirect talks between representatives of the government and opposition.

Syria’s main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) told AFP it was willing to join a transitional government with diplomats and technocrats from Assad’s government.

“We cannot accept the participation of the parties who committed crimes against the Syrian people in the transitional governing body,” HNC spokesman Salem al-Meslet said on the sidelines of the talks.

We cannot accept the participation of the parties who committed crimes against the Syrian people in the transitional governing body. — Salem al-Mesle, HNC spokesman

But the opposition could cooperate with regime “diplomats and technocrats” provided they had popular support, he said.

The Geneva talks resumed following legislative elections in regime-held areas on Wednesday.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura met the government delegation, with a second session set for Monday, and the HNC was holding its second meeting with him on Friday.

Lead government negotiator Bashar al-Jafaari described his meeting as “constructive and fruitful”.

Assad’s role in a future transitional government, which de Mistura has said would be the focus of the talks, remains the key sticking point.

Damascus says that even discussing Assad’s departure is off limits, while the opposition insists he can have no role in a future transition.

The fighting around Syria’s second city Aleppo has cast a shadow over international efforts to end the five-year war, which has left more than 270,000 people dead and forced millions to flee their homes.

Troops and militiamen loyal to the regime have fought Islamic State group fighters southeast of Aleppo city this week, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. — AFP

Syrian opposition body (HCN) delegation (left to right) member George Sabra, delegation head Asaad al-Zoabi and Chief negotiator, Army of Islam rebel group’s Mohammed Alloush attend a meeting on Syria peace talks with UN Syria envoy at the United...