MOSCOW, March 15. /TASS/. The number of communities that have joined the reconciliation process in Syria has reached 51, the Russian center for reconciliation has said in a news release published on the Defense Ministry’s website.
"During the past 24 hours reconciliation agreements have been signed with the elders of seven villages in Hama province. The ceremony took place in Ain al-Bad, Hama province. A crowd of 600 local residents was present. The number of communities that have joined the reconciliation agreement has reached 51," the news release runs.
Talks are in progress on ending hostilities with the leaders of five armed groups in Aleppo province. The number of groups that have agreed to cease fire has remained unchanged over the past day - 42.
"Specialists from the Russian center for reconciliation have taken part in working meetings with representatives of the local authorities in Damascus, Hama, Homs and Al-Quneitra provinces. Matters related to the cessation of hostilities and the solution of humanitarian problems have been discussed," the report runs.
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Russian military deliver 4 tons of humanitarian aid to Syria’s Ain al-Bad
The Russian military have delivered about four tons of humanitarian cargoes to the Syrian settlement of Ain al-Bad in the province of Hama, the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria said in a regular information bulletin on Tuesday.
"Over the past day, the Russia center for reconciliation has delivered four tons of humanitarian aid to the settlement of Ain al-Bad (the province of Hama). The humanitarian cargoes - food products and bottled water - were distributed among the local residents," according to the bulletin posted on the Russian defense ministry’s official website.
Apart from that, according to the document, the Russian military are forming humanitarian convoys for the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus and Homs.
Issues related to humanitarian assistance to Syria were in focus of a working meeting between the Russian center’s specialists with representatives of the public organization Ministry of Regional Administration, the bulletin says.
Humanitarian issues were address at telephone talks between the command of the Russian and US reconciliation centers. The sides discussed the humanitarian situation in the province of Damascus and exchanged information on ceasefire violations.
Russian center on reconciliation in Syria registers 15 truce violations over day
The Russian center for reconciliation of the warring sides in Syria said in a bulleting that it has registered 15 violations of the ceasefire regime over the past 24 hours.
"Fifteen violations of the regime of cessation of hostilities have been registered over the past day," the center said.
"Six in the Governorate of Damascus, two in each of Aleppo, Idlib, Hama and Homs, one in Latakia," says the document posted on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website.
In particular, the bulletin specifies, militants of formations that rank themselves among opposition - Liva Sultan Murad and Ahrar ash-Sham twice opened mortar fire on Kurd detachments in an Aleppo neighborhood.
"Besides, formations of Jaysh al-Islam twice shelled from mortars the positions of government troops" near Damascus, it says. The bulletin also mentioned other cases of shelling by militants.
"Russia’s Aerospace Forces and Syria’s Air Force have not delivered strikes at opposition armed formations who announced cessation of hostilities and reported to the Russian or American centers of reconciliation the data on their location," the document says.
A ceasefire regime brokered by Russia and the United States on February 22 officially came into effect in Syria at midnight Damascus time on February 27. This does not cover terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, both outlawed in Russia, and other groups recognized as terrorist by the United Nations Security Council.
An hour before the ceasefire came into force, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution in support cessation of hostilities in Syria. The document was initiated by Russia and the United States and won support from all the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council.
The Kremlin press service said late on Monday after a telephone conversation between Russian and Syrian Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Bashar Assad, that the two leaders agreed to withdraw the main part of Russia’s air group from that country as "the Russian Armed Forces had fulfilled the fundamental tasks, which had been assigned to them." Russia however will keep an air flights control center in Syria to monitor the observation of the ceasefire regime, the Kremlin said. An order was issued to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu to begin troops pullout starting March 15.