Syrian opposition urges UN to halt truce violations

DAMASCUS: Syria’s main opposition coalition urged the United Nations Security Council on Thursday to put an “immediate” halt to what it said were regime violations of a shaky cease-fire.
The truce, brokered by regime backer Russia and rebel sponsor Turkey, has brought quiet to large parts of Syria since it began on December 30 but is threatened by a regime bid to retake rebel-held Wadi Barada, source of the main water supply to Damascus.
The coalition “condemns attempts by the government of (President) Bashar (Assad), Iran and their terrorist militias to continue with violations and with the war crimes that are being carried out, especially in the Wadi Barada area,” the National Coalition opposition body said.
It called on the Security Council and the guarantors of the truce to “halt attacks immediately and to condemn and punish those who commit violations.”
The cease-fire was meant to pave the way for peace negotiations later this month in the Kazakh capital Astana.
Government forces fighting to recapture the area are backed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
The opposition accused Hezbollah of preventing Russian officials from entering Wadi Barada to assess the work needed and continue negotiations.
“A checkpoint belonging to the Hezbollah militia prevented the Russian officers from entering,” Ahmed Ramadan of the National Coalition opposition body said in a message to journalists.
The cease-fire and Astana talks are the latest bid to resolve nearly six years of conflict in Syria, which has been ravaged by violence since an uprising began in March 2011.
More than 310,000 people have been killed and over half the country displaced in the violence, which has drawn in regional and international players.
Regime ally Moscow began a military campaign in support of Assad’s government in September 2015, and Turkey launched its own fight against the Daesh group and Kurdish fighters in northern Syria in August last year.
The US-led anti-Daesh coalition said Wednesday it was prepared to support Turkish forces battling the jihadists.
“I can confirm for you that those discussions have been happening and the Turks are aware of some of the things that might be in store,” Col. John Dorrian said, speaking via video conference from Baghdad but declining to elaborate.

Turkey, Iran swap warnings
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday urged the Assad regime and its backers to end their “violations” of the truce, warning they were jeopardizing the planned talks in Kazakh capital Astana this month.
“If we do not stop the increasing violations, the Astana process could fail. After the cease-fire, we see violations,” Cavusoglu told the state-run Anadolu news agency.
“When we look at who commits these violations, it is Hezbollah, in particular Shiite groups and the regime,” he added.
He urged Russia and Iran, which both back Assad and are also helping prepare the Astana talks, to pressure Damascus and Hezbollah to stop the fighting.
On Thursday, Iran hit back at “unconstructive” Turkish allegations, accusing rebels of breaking the truce.
“The current cease-fire in Syria has been violated repeatedly by the anti-government armed opposition groups,” foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said Wednesday.
“(Turkey) should take necessary measures to deal with several instances of cease-fire violation by these groups and at the same time refrain from taking unreal stances and accusing other parties.”
Ghasemi criticized the “unconstructive remarks” by Turkey’s foreign minister and said they could “further complicate the current situation” in Syria.
Despite backing opposite sides in the conflict, Ankara and Moscow have worked closely to broker the cease-fire and plan the Astana talks, which Cavusoglu said could take place on January 23.
Regime ally Iran is also involved in organizing the talks, and top official Alaeddin Boroujerdi was in Damascus on Wednesday for talks with Assad.