MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. Six residential settlements in the Latakia and Homs regions have signed reconciliation agreements in the past 24 hours, the Russian center for reconciliation of warring sides in Syria said in its daily news bulletin posted on the Defense Ministry’s website on Saturday.
"The number of settlements joining the reconciliation process has reached 661. Talks on joining the regime of a cessation of hostilities were continued with the field commanders of armed opposition groups in the provinces of Damascus, Homs, Aleppo and al-Quneitra," the center says in the bulletin.
"The number of illegal armed groups that declared their commitment to the ceasefire terms remains unchanged — 69," it says.
Besides, the document says that 28 violations of the cessation of hostilities by illegal armed units have been recorded in the regions of Damascus (16), Aleppo (9), Latakia (2) and Homs (1) over the past 24 hours.
"In the province of Damascus, terrorists opened fire from home-made multiple missile launcher systems, mortars and firearms at the settlements of Bleliye, Harasta (three times), Hawsh-Nasri (twice), Jobar (three times), Huteita al-Jarash, Hawsh al-Fara, Douma, Qaboun, farms in the settlement of Hawsh al-Fara, and positions of government troops near height 612," the center said.
"In the Aleppo province shelling was delivered from artillery systems, mortars, antitank guided missile systems and firearms on the residential locality of Muheim-Handrat, Aleppo’s districts of Ramusi, ‘1070,’ al-Masharka and az-Zahra, the positions of government forces near the Castello shopping mall and the road leading to it (twice), and a gas plant," the center said.
Syrian troops’ positions near Abu-Ali mountain and height 529 in the Latakia region as well as the Kafer-Nan settlement in the Homs region came under terrorists’ shelling from mortars, anti-tank guided missile systems and firearms.
Russia’s Aerospace Force and Syria’s Air Force have not been delivering strikes on opposition armed units that had announced the cessation of hostilities and reported their location to the Russian or US reconciliation centers.
Apart from this, the Russian military said efforts were continued to deliver aid to people in need. "A humanitarian aid was delivered to the residents of Aleppo’s al-Ashrafia district and of the settlement of Amudi in the Latakia province — flour, rice, sugar, tea, and canned meat and fish — a total of four tonnes," the bulletin says. "Hot meals and living essentials distribution outlets are still open for civilians leaving Aleppo’s neighborhoods controlled by illegal armed groups."
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.