MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/. Five agreements on joining the cessation of hostilities have been signed in Syria in the past 24 hours, with three of them in the Damascus region and two more in the Latakia region, the Russian reconciliation center said in its daily news bulletin posted on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website on Saturday.
"The number of populated localities that joined the reconciliation process in Syria has increased to 1,120," the bulletin says. Events are underway to expand the cessation of hostilities regime across the Eastern Qalamoun area in the Damascus region.
Officers of the Russian reconciliation center alongside representatives of the Syrian government concluded corresponding agreements in the cities of Jayrud and al-Atnah.
Brokered by the Russian center for reconciliation of opposing sides, the Syrian authorities has reached an agreement that the opposition detachments located in those cities as well as in the cities of al-Naseriyah and al-Ruhaybah, which had earlier joined the reconciliation process, will participate in combat activities against ISIS (Islamic State) terrorists.
The combined population of the cities of Jayrud, al-Atnah, al-Naseriyah and al-Ruhaybah is estimated at about 120,000 people. The Russian reconciliation center provides assistance in delivering drinking water, foodstuffs and essentials to those cities. Local residents receive medical help.
Opposition armed units have agreed to join the cessation of hostilities in the settlements of Farshad and al-Qrandahah in the Latakia region.
The number of armed groups that pledged their commitments to accepting and fulfilling the conditions of the cessation of hostilities has remained unchanged - 104.
Nationwide ceasefire
At midnight on 30 December 2016, a nationwide ceasefire came into force across Syria under the agreement on a complex solution to the Syria crisis.
Many armed groups of the Syrian opposition agreed to the ceasefire. Among them are Falaq al-Sham, Jabhat Ahli ash-Sham (Jaysh al-Mujahideen, Souvar al-Sham), Firqa Sultan Murad, Jaysh Idlib, Suqour al-Sham, Feilaq al-Rahman, Jabhat al-Shamiya, Tadjamua Fastaqin, Jaysh al-Izzah, Jaysh al-Nasr, al-Firqat al-Ulya al-Sahiliya (1st coastal division), Jaysh al-Islam and Liwa Shuhada al-Islam.
During the day, Russian officials in the Russian-Turkish joint commission set up to monitor ceasefire violations in Syria reported two violations, including one - in the Aleppo region and the other - in the Latakia region.
Turkish officials reported 16 ceasefire violations, including eight - in the province of Aleppo, six - in the province of Damascus and two - in the province of Hama, the bulletin said.
A probe into these facts revealed that in six cases the fire was opened at units of the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group (outlawed in Russia - TASS). The Russia side found no confirmation of ten violations.
Humanitarian missions in Syria
Over the past 24 hours, two humanitarian missions were carried out in Syria. Thus, 1.7 tonne of humanitarian aid was handed out to civilians in the az-Zahra district of the city of Aleppo and of the al-Zahra district in the city of Homs. The aid included foodstuffs, medicines and school kits.
Special centers keep operating in east Aleppo, providing hot meals and essentials to its residents.
The ceasefire came into force on December 30, 2016 in line with the truce deal sealed in an effort to find a complex solution to the Syria crisis. Syrian government forces and groups of armed opposition with an overall strength of more than 60,000 have agreed to the ceasefire. Russia and Turkey act as its guarantors. Ceasefire does not cover terrorist groups, such as Islamic State.
The Russian Defense Ministry declared the establishment of the reconciliation center on February 23. It is headquartered at the Hmeimim air base, Latakia province. The center was set up in line with agreements reached by Russia and the United States to facilitate the negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition and to organize humanitarian deliveries.