All news

Russian observers register nine ceasefire violations in Syria, Turkish - five

Situation in the de-escalation zones is assessed as stable," the ministry said

MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. Russian observers fixed nine ceasefire violations in Syria, the Turkish - five, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a daily bulletin, published on Sunday.

"Control groups continue monitoring the ceasefire observation within the implementation of the Memorandum on creation of the de-escalation zones in the Syrian Arab Republic, which had been signed by the Russia, Turkey, and Iran on May 4, 2017. Situation in the de-escalation zones is assessed as stable," the ministry said. "Over the last 24 hours, the Russian party of the Russia-Turkey Commission on violations of the Joint Agreement has registered nine cases of firing in the provinces of Aleppo (1), Hama (4) and Damascus (4). The Turkish party has registered five cases of ceasefire violations in the provinces of Idlib (3), Hama (1) and Aleppo (1)."

"Most cases of unselective firing from small arms have been registered in the areas controlled by insurgents of the ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groupings," the document reads.

"The UN held one humanitarian action: residents of Madyara (Damascus province) receive 225 tons of food and medical supplies, and home necessities," the ministry said. "Over the last 24 hours, medical assistance has been provided to 60 people."

"Over the last 24 hours, one application has been signed with a leader of an illegal armed formation in the de-escalation zone No. 1," the bulletin reads. "The number of armed formations, which have claimed to observe the ceasefire regime, reached 234."

De-escalation zones in Syria

At the Astana meeting on Syria in May, the guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire (Russia, Iran and Turkey) signed a memorandum on setting up de-escalation zones in the war-torn country.

The three de-escalation zones are in Syria’s southwest, in Eastern Ghouta (Damascus suburbs) and near Homs. The fourth zone covers the Idlib Province and parts of the neighboring Aleppo, Latakia and Hama.

Starting from May 6, military activities and aircraft flights in the de-escalation zones were banned. The document’s term is six months, with an optional further extension.