UPDATE - Syria: Assad regime declares conditional truce in Idlib

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Adham Kako and Burak Karacaoglu

ANKARA (AA) - The Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria announced Thursday a conditional cease-fire in Idlib, which was declared a de-escalation zone by Turkey and Russia to prohibit acts of aggression.

The regime forces, who intensified attacks in the region soon after the Sochi agreement was signed in September 2018 in Russia, declared a conditional truce in the Idlib de-escalation zone that will be implemented as of tonight, during the 13th round of Syria peace talks in Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan, the Syrian regime’s official news agency SANA reported, quoting a military source.

“The agreement stipulates terrorists to retreat nearly 20 km in depth from the line of the de-escalation zone of Idlib and to withdraw the heavy and medium weapons,” SANA quoted the source.

Military opponents have yet to comment on the reports of cease-fire.

Speaking to reporters following the official meetings as part of the peace talks, Russia’s special envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev welcomed the regime’s decision to declare a truce in Idlib.

Among the topics of discussion were the situation in Idlib de-escalation zone and in northeastern Syria, confidence-building measures between conflicting parties, return of the refugees, humanitarian situation and post-war reconstruction, Lavrentiev noted.

Also speaking after the talks, Sheikh Rami Dosh, chairman of the Supreme Assembly for Syrian Tribes and Clans, said: “Syria belongs to everyone. It is sufficient for everyone. Separatist organizations cannot split this country.”

Dosh added that Kurdish people suffer from the acts of YPG/PKK terror groups just like everyone else in the region.

Abdul Hakim Bashar, vice president of the National Council of Syrian Kurds (ENKS), also said that Arab-Kurdish relations became worse due to the PKK terrorists’ crimes East of Euphrates River.

Bashar said that they are against the ones who try to disturb relations between ethnic groups in Syria.

A Turkish delegation attended the talks under the leadership of Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal.

- Main meeting to be held tomorrow

The main meeting of the 13th round of peace talks will be held on Friday with the attendance of Bashar al-Assad regime and military opposition delegations.

Officials from Jordan, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and International Red Crescent will be present at the meeting as observers.

Lebanon and Iraq, which were granted the observer status during 12th round of peace talks in Astana format held in late April, will attend the talks for the first time.

The talks in Astana format have been ongoing since January 2017 under the guarantee of Turkey, Russia and Iran.

Turkey and Russia agreed last September to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone where acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

The Syrian regime and its allies, however, have consistently broken the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.

The de-escalation zone is currently inhabited by about 4 million civilians, including hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the regime forces from their cities and towns throughout the war-weary country over recent years.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials.

*Aliia Raimbekova contributed this story from Nur-Sultan; Writing by Sena Guler in Ankara