DAMASCUS, Aug 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Syrian government forces and rebels have agreed on a two-week ceasefire in a volatile area in the south of the war-torn country, a local official said.
The agreement was reached after talks with the Russian army, a major ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the spokesman for a local coordination committee added.
For the past few weeks, government forces have shelled and clashed with opposition fighters in the area of Daraa al-Balaad in the province of Daraa, the birthplace of an uprising that erupted against al-Assad’s rule in 2011.
Since June 24, government forces have imposed a siege on Daraa al-Balad.
The rebels surrendered the city of Daraa in 2018 after reaching an agreement with Russia and handed over their heavy weapons.
Parts of the city, however, remained under the control of the opposition.
United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen expressed concern about violence in southern Syria.
“Increased hostilities, which have included heavy shelling and intensified ground clashes, have resulted in civilian casualties. Thousands of civilians have been forced to flee Daraa al-Balad,” Pederson said.
He warned that the situation there is alarming and that civilians are suffering from acute shortages of fuel, cooking gas, water, and bread as well as medical assistance. — NNN-AGENCIES
