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Six ceasefire violations reported in Syria in past day — Russian reconciliation center

Truce agreements were signed in the past 24 hours with representatives of two settlements in the Syrian provinces of Homs and Daraa

MOSCOW, May 24. /TASS/. The ceasefire regime has been generally observed in most of Syria’s provinces, with six violations reported in the provinces of Damascus and Latakia in the past day, the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria said in its regular daily news bulletin posted on the Russian defense ministry’s website on Tuesday.

A 72-hour regime of silence was imposed in Eastern Ghouta and Darayya in the province of Damascus from 00:01 a.m. on May 24, 2016.

Units of the Jaysh al-Islam group which aligns itself with the opposition conducted mortar and firearms fire at the Syrian army’s positions near the settlements of Douma, Haush Harabu, Haush al-Fara, Jobar and Zibdeen in the province of Damascus. The settlement of Kermel in the province of Latakia came under shelling from multiple missile launcher systems.

"No air strikes were delivered by the Russian air group and the Syrian air force at armed opposition group which have declared cessation of hostilities and referred their coordinates to the Russian or U.S. reconciliation centers," the Russian center said.

Groups constituting the international terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra (outlawed in Russia) are continuing provocation aimed at disrupt the regime of cessation of hostilities, the Russian center said. During the day, fire was conducted from multiple missile launcher systems and mortars at the settlement of Handrat and Aleppo’s districts of Sheikh Maksoud, Salah al-Din and Khalidiya, the bulletin says.

Jabhat al-Nusra groups shelled the settlements of Hakur Takhtani and Kinsibba in the province of Latakia, and the settlements of Marj al-Sultan in the province of Damascus. In the vicinity of the city of Palmyra in the province of Homs, government troops repelled Islamic State groups to Mounts Jabal-Zgag and Jabal al-Gattar. In the province of Hama, government troops rebuffed Jabhat al-Nusra’s numerous attempts to seize an electricity plant located on Mount al-Makhrouk, the center said.

117 Syrian settlements join reconciliation process

Truce agreements were signed in the past 24 hours with representatives of two settlements in the Syrian provinces of Homs and Daraa, the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria said in its regular daily news bulletin posted on the Russian defense ministry’s website on Tuesday.

Thus, the number of settlements joining the process of reconciliation has reached 117, the bulletin says.

According to the bulletin, talks on joining the regime of cessation of hostilities are continued with field commanders of armed opposition groups in the provinces of Aleppo and Damascus.

"The number of armed groups that declared their commitment to the ceasefire terms remained unchanged - 59," as follows from the news bulletin.

A total of 32.5 tons of food received from the United Nations were dropped on parachute platforms from Russian planes to the city of Deir ez-Zor besieged by Islamic State terrorists, the Russian center said.

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 Russian reconciliation 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.