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| Syria ceasefire threatened by attack on rebel-held towns near Damascus | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Syrian government troops appear to have violated a nationwide truce that went into effect at midnight by launching attacks on two towns near Damascus close to the city’s water supply. | Syrian government troops appear to have violated a nationwide truce that went into effect at midnight by launching attacks on two towns near Damascus close to the city’s water supply. |
| However, the ceasefire, brokered by Turkey and Russia, has largely held across most of the country despite one of the most powerful rebel groups saying it had reservations and had not signed the deal. | However, the ceasefire, brokered by Turkey and Russia, has largely held across most of the country despite one of the most powerful rebel groups saying it had reservations and had not signed the deal. |
| Activists from the Wadi Barada valley, a rebel-held area north-west of Damascus that supplies nearly three-quarters of the capital’s water, said helicopters and artillery had targeted the area throughout Thursday night and into Friday morning. | Activists from the Wadi Barada valley, a rebel-held area north-west of Damascus that supplies nearly three-quarters of the capital’s water, said helicopters and artillery had targeted the area throughout Thursday night and into Friday morning. |
| Much of Damascus has been without water for a week, since Bashar al-Assad’s government and its allied militias launched an offensive to retake Wadi Barada, hoping to capitalise on their victory in Aleppo. | Much of Damascus has been without water for a week, since Bashar al-Assad’s government and its allied militias launched an offensive to retake Wadi Barada, hoping to capitalise on their victory in Aleppo. |
| The Assad government has accused the rebels of polluting the water supply, forcing it to cut the flow into the city. The opposition says the water infrastructure was damaged in government attacks and poisoning the supply would also harm residents in rebel-held areas. | The Assad government has accused the rebels of polluting the water supply, forcing it to cut the flow into the city. The opposition says the water infrastructure was damaged in government attacks and poisoning the supply would also harm residents in rebel-held areas. |
| In addition to the violations, the powerful Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham said it did not sign the ceasefire deal despite Russian claims to the contrary, raising further doubts about its long-term viability. | In addition to the violations, the powerful Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham said it did not sign the ceasefire deal despite Russian claims to the contrary, raising further doubts about its long-term viability. |
| “Ahrar al-Sham has a number of reservations on the proposed agreement and the negotiations are linked to that, and we have therefore not signed it,” said Ahmad Qaran Ali, a spokesman for the group. | “Ahrar al-Sham has a number of reservations on the proposed agreement and the negotiations are linked to that, and we have therefore not signed it,” said Ahmad Qaran Ali, a spokesman for the group. |
| It is hoped the fragile ceasefire, the third this year, may mark a turning point and usher in peace talks aimed at bringing an end to the six-year conflict that has killed nearly 500,000 people and displaced half of Syria’s population. It covers all areas of the country except those under Islamic State control. | It is hoped the fragile ceasefire, the third this year, may mark a turning point and usher in peace talks aimed at bringing an end to the six-year conflict that has killed nearly 500,000 people and displaced half of Syria’s population. It covers all areas of the country except those under Islamic State control. |
| The talks that led to the ceasefire took place in Ankara and officials from all sides said they hoped the pact would hold in the run-up to negotiations next month in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which could establish a path to peace. | The talks that led to the ceasefire took place in Ankara and officials from all sides said they hoped the pact would hold in the run-up to negotiations next month in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which could establish a path to peace. |
| The negotiations are expected to primarily include Russia, Turkey and Iran, effectively sidelining the US, whose policies have alienated Russia and Nato member Turkey. | The negotiations are expected to primarily include Russia, Turkey and Iran, effectively sidelining the US, whose policies have alienated Russia and Nato member Turkey. |
| Turkey hopes to prevent a fresh influx of refugees from the province of Idlib, which is expected to be the next target for a government offensive, while Russia hopes to reinforce its role as a global power by negotiating an agreement to end the war. | Turkey hopes to prevent a fresh influx of refugees from the province of Idlib, which is expected to be the next target for a government offensive, while Russia hopes to reinforce its role as a global power by negotiating an agreement to end the war. |
| The two countries have improved relations after months of estrangement over Turkey shooting down a Russian warplane that had strayed into its airspace. | The two countries have improved relations after months of estrangement over Turkey shooting down a Russian warplane that had strayed into its airspace. |
| The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at a press conference on Thursday night: “I would like to thank all those who supported the ceasefire process, especially my valuable friend [Vladimir] Putin. Turkey will continue to make every effort to ensure the peace [and] stability of our region and Syria.” | The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at a press conference on Thursday night: “I would like to thank all those who supported the ceasefire process, especially my valuable friend [Vladimir] Putin. Turkey will continue to make every effort to ensure the peace [and] stability of our region and Syria.” |
| The ceasefire was agreed after a series of significant losses for the opposition and a shift in the war’s momentum in favour of Assad. | The ceasefire was agreed after a series of significant losses for the opposition and a shift in the war’s momentum in favour of Assad. |
| The rebels recently lost control of the east of Aleppo, the last major city in Syria in which they had a presence, their defence lines crushed over weeks of sustained attack. They have also come under bombardment in Idlib and rural areas near Damascus. | The rebels recently lost control of the east of Aleppo, the last major city in Syria in which they had a presence, their defence lines crushed over weeks of sustained attack. They have also come under bombardment in Idlib and rural areas near Damascus. |
| The rebels have made no significant gains for much of the past year, their firepower blunted by Russia’s air campaign. | The rebels have made no significant gains for much of the past year, their firepower blunted by Russia’s air campaign. |