Russia declares truce in Syria safe zone
Cease-fire third in deal made with Turkey, Iran
BEIRUT — Russia’s Defense Ministry announced a cease-fire for a third safe zone in war-torn
Syria on Thursday, paving the way for the delivery of sorely needed humanitarian relief to rebel-held areas north of the city of Homs.
In central Syria meanwhile a swap between Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group and Syria’s al-qaida affiliate ended with more than 7,000 fighters and civilians crossing into rebel-held parts of northern Syria in return for the release of five Lebanese militants who arrived in governmentheld parts of the country.
Military Spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Russia would deploy military police in the area Friday and set up two checkpoints and three observation points around its borders.
“It’s important that people can live again,” said Mustapha Khaled, an opposition activist working for a media center for the town of Talbisah, in north Homs province.
It is the third of four planned cease-fires reached in recent months under an agreement brokered by Russia, Iran and Turkey in May.
Russia and Iran are providing military support to President Bashar Assad, while Turkey sponsors some of the opposition forces arrayed against him.
Pro-government forces have besieged the enclave north of Homs for years but have been unable to capture it from the opposition even as it recovered territory elsewhere.
Shelling and airstrikes against the enclave have eased since the May agreement was signed, said Khaled. Residents will now be expecting further relief.
The agreement, according to notes leaked by the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, follows the model of another cease-fire zone for the suburbs of Damascus.
Both truces were negotiated in Cairo between Russia and what the Ministry of Defense described as the “moderate opposition.”
Aid will be expected to flow again to north Homs, and Russia will man checkpoints around the enclave to facilitate the movement of civilians in and out of the enclave to revitalize the economy.
The agreement also prescribes the release of political prisoners, long a demand of the opposition.