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Russian observers confirm no ceasefire violations in Syria

The Turkish side registered five violations

MOSCOW, September 16. /TASS/. Russian observers registered no ceasefire violations in Syria over past 24 hours. The Turkish side registered five violations, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a daily bulletin on Saturday.

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

"Over the last 24 hours, the Russian party of the Russia-Turkey Commission on violations of the Joint Agreement has registered no cases of firing," the bulletin reads. "The Turkish party has registered 5 cases of ceasefire violations in the provinces of Idlib (1), Latakia (1), and Damascus (3)."

"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 Defense Ministry said.

"Negotiations on joining ceasefire regime have been continued with field commanders of detachments of armed opposition in the Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, Hama, and al-Quneitra provinces," the document reads. "The number of armed formations, which have claimed to observe the ceasefire regime, is still 233."

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 de-escalation zones include the Idlib Province, some parts of its neighboring areas in the Latakia, Hama and Aleppo Provinces north of the city of Homs, Eastern Ghouta, as well as the Daraa and al-Quneitra Provinces in southern Syria.

Starting from May 6, military activities and aircraft flights in the de-escalation zones are banned. Three de-escalation zones have already been established, while the fourth zone in the Idlib Province is being set up.

The document’s term is six months, with an optional further extension.

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