Armed Groups Violate Syria Ceasefire in Eastern Suburbs of Capital: Source
DAMASCUS (Tasnim) – Severe clashes erupted in eastern suburbs of the Syrian capital when armed opposition groups attacked the Syrian army forces in violation of a nationwide ceasefire in the Arab country, a military source said on Wednesday.
According to Tasnim dispatches, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) foiled an attempt by militants to advance in Harasta, a town in the northeastern suburbs of Damascus, and killed a number of them, the military source said.
He said the armed groups had mounted their attacks against the army positions in Harasta and Irbin but were defeated in a surprise counterattack.
The Syrian army’s fighter jets also bombarded the positions of the armed rebels in the areas, the source noted.
The nearly month-old ceasefire in Syria was negotiated between Russia, Iran, Turkey, the Damascus government and the Syrian opposition.
The truce excludes groups deemed by the United Nations Security Council as terrorists. They include Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front.
The ceasefire was followed by a new round of peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in the Kazakh capital Astana on January 23-24.
Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.
According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.