MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. Preliminary ceasefire agreements have been reached with the elder of six settlements in the Syrian province of Damascus in the past day. Talks are underway with the leaders of six armed groups in the provinces of Damascus, Daraa and Homs, Russia’s center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria said in its information bulletin posted on the Russian defense ministry’s website on Sunday.
"The number of settlements which have filed application for joining the ceasefire is remaining unchanged - 42. In all, a total of 30 ceasefire applications have been signed with leaders of armed groups," the center said. "The Russian center for reconciliation is receiving applications from representatives of opposition forces where they express their intentions to take part in the process of discussion of Syria’s new constitution."
According to the center, as many as 15 ceasefire violations have been reported in Syria, with 11 such episodes registered in Damascus. Four people have been wounded.
"Fifteen violations of the ceasefire regime have been reported in the past day (11 violations in Damascus, one in Hama, one in Daraa and one in Idlib). Four people were wounded in shelling of residential quarters and positions of the government troops in Damascus by illegal armed groups. Russian and Syrian air forces delivered no air strikes on the opposition armed groups which have announced cessation of hostilities and referred information about their location to the Russian and U.S. reconciliation centers," the ministry said.
The center also reported that it has begun formation of another humanitarian convoy to Syrian settlements affected by combat operation. "The Russian center for reconciliation in Syria has received requests for humanitarian assistance from administration heads and the elder of the six most hurt affected settlements in the province of Damascus. Efforts are being taken to form another humanitarian convoy. The command of the center has had a series of working meetings with officials from the Syrian ministries of national reconciliation and of internal affairs and from the municipal administration to discuss issues of raising the efficiency of humanitarian deliveries to people living in settlements where combat operations are over," the center said.
According to the center, a working meeting was held with the governors of the provinces of Iblib and Latakia on issues of the organization of the process of restoring peaceful life in settlements liberated by government troops.
"Seeking to hamper the reconciliation process, Islamic State terrorists have launched a hunt after the elder, administration chiefs of the settlements and moderate opposition field commanders who have joined the ceasefire agreement. The center for reconciliation will offer its assistance in ensuring their security," the center said.
Russian and U.S. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama adopted a statement on February 22 on a ceasefire in Syria from February 27.
Both countries undertook to influence the Syrian political forces close to them to achieve truce in Syria. The truce regime is not applicable to the groupings recognized by the United Nations as terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra (both outlawed in Russia).
In the follow-up of the joint statement by the Russian and U.S. leaders, a special Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Sides was set up at Russia’s Khmeimim airbase in Syria’s Latakia.
The Center aims to assist armed groups in Syria in concluding ceasefire agreements, maintain the truce regime, control its observance and organize the delivery of humanitarian cargoes to civilians.