Syrian army declares 48-hour ceasefire in Deraa. U.S. welcomes Syria cease-fire and urges opposition to halt attacks
The Syrian army said it would suspend combat operations in the southern city of Deraa for 48 hours from Saturday, according to a statement carried by state news agency SANA.
The army general command said the ceasefire was due to take effect at 12 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Saturday and was being done to support “reconciliation efforts”.
The United States on Saturday welcomed a 48-hour cease-fire in southern Syria and called on the Syrian government to honor its commitments during that period.
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“We will judge this initiative by the results, not the words,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. “The opposition should similarly halt attacks to allow the ceasefire to endure – and hopefully be extended – and humanitarian aid to reach those in need.”
U.N. mediator targets fresh Syria talks for July 10
The United Nations special mediator for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, wants to start a fresh round of talks between Syrian factions on July 10, his office said on Saturday.
Since a resumption of negotiations last year, there have been multiple rounds brokered by the United Nations between representatives of Syrian rebels or the government of Bashar al-Assad, resulting in scant progress.
“(De Mistura) wishes to announce he will convene a seventh round of the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva. The target date for arrival of invitees is July 9, with the round beginning on July 10,” it said in an emailed statement.
“He intends to convene further rounds of talks in August and in September.”
De Mistura said earlier this week such talks would depend on the progress made in setting up “de-escalation” zones in Syria, where over six years of conflict have killed more than 400,000 people.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that talks between Russia, Turkey and Iran to discuss these zones would take place in the Kazakh city of Astana in early July.
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Russia and Iran back Assad against rebels supported by Western powers, while both sides, aided by Sunni powers such as Saudi Arabia, fight against Islamic State militants.
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