MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/. The ceasefire regime in Syria has been breached five times in the province of Damascus and once in the province of Latakia over the past 24 hours, the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria has said.
The Center’s bulletin was posted on the website of Russia’s Defense Ministry on Saturday.
"In the province of Damascus, formations assigning themselves to the opposition grouping Jaysh al-Islam shelled the communities of Joubar, Arbil, Haush-Duara, Douma and Harasta from mortars. In the province of Latakia, the armed formations of the grouping Ahrar al-Sham shelled the area of Abu Ali Mountain," the Reconciliation Center said in a bulletin.
The Russian air task force and the Syrian Air Force have not delivered any strikes against opposition militia forces who announced an end to combat operations and reported to the Russian or the US Reconciliation Center about their location, the bulletin said.
Terrorist attacks
"The groups of the terrorist organizations Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State (IS) continue to impede the final establishment of the cease regime. The centers of provision hot meals and basic necessities have been deployed for the civilians fleeing areas of the city of Aleppo that are under the armed terrorist groups’ control," the document says.
During the day the terrorists multiple rocket launchers, mortars and tanks to shell in Aleppo’s neighborhoods Hai al-Ansari and Leramon, the local leather and cement factories, as well as Castello shopping center. The terrorist also shelled a number of localities in the provinces of Damascus and Daraa.
"Evacuation of the population and militants who agreed to lay down arms started from the Darayya settlement of the Damascus province. They were evacuated by 10 buses and 7 ambulance cars," the bulletin says.
As many as 265 civilians, mostly women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from Darayya to a temporary accommodation center deployed in the Keisua settlement (Damascus province). Another 10 severely injured residents of the town were taken to Damascus hospitals. Also, 120 militants and members of their families (230 persons) have left the city voluntarily, they were moved on buses towards Idlib.
Reconciling conflicting parties
"During the day, reconciliation agreements with representatives of five populated localities in the Homs province were signed. The number of localities that joined the reconciliation process has increased to 481", the document says.
Negotiations continued on the ceasefire regime observance with the field commanders of the armed opposition groups in the provinces of Homs, Hama and Latakia. The number of armed groups that have declared their commitment to the ceasefire terms remained unchanged.
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. 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.