Fragile Syria truce tested by violence, US-Russia tensions

ALEPPO, Syria: Air strikes and clashes tested a fragile ceasefire in Syria yesterday as civilians waited for aid and tensions mounted between the deal’s brokers Russia and the United States.

In New York, the UN Security Council cancelled an urgent meeting that had been called to discuss whether to endorse the truce, billed as the ‘last chance’ to end the five-year war that has killed 300,000 people.

The closed-door consultations were scrapped after Moscow and Washington failed to agree over disclosing details of the ceasefire to the council.

US Secretary of State John Kerry had earlier called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and condemned “repeated and unacceptable delays of humanitarian aid,” spokesman John Kirby said.

Kerry told Lavrov that Washington “expects Russia to use its influence on the President Bashar al-Assad regime to allow UN humanitarian convoys to reach Aleppo and other areas in need.

“The secretary made clear that the United States will not establish the Joint Implementation Centre with Russia unless and until the agreed terms for humanitarian access are met,” Kirby said.

President Barack Obama also voiced “deep concern” that the Syrian regime continued to block humanitarian aid.

The ceasefire has been marred by a lack of aid deliveries and sporadic violence, including three civilians killed Friday.

If the truce, which began Monday, lasts seven days and humanitarian access is granted, Russia and the US are to work together to target jihadists including the Islamic State group (IS) and former al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front.

Under the truce deal, Moscow must put pressure on Assad and Washington must work with Syrian rebels to silence their guns.

Earlier Friday, Russia said that only Moscow and the Syrian regime were fulfilling the deal.

“Although the ceasefire agreement is bilateral, only one side is truly implementing it,” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

However, Russia said it was still ready to extend the truce set to expire late Friday by 72 hours. — AFP