Syrian rebel groups hold Assad, Russia responsible for any failure of talks

If disputes or other problems arise, Kerry told reporters, a 20-member multinational group that has promoted peace talks will convene immediately after the Geneva meetings end.

According to the newspaper, on January 3, Colonel-General Igor Sergun, director of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, just weeks before his death has travelled to Syria to deliver Putin’s request for Assad to leave his post as Syria’s president. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Russian planes had helped destroy military vehicles and bunkers placed in strategic positions, helping prepare the way for the Syrian army to capture the city.

“The form of the talks does not concern us, but the conditions must be appropriate for the negotiations”, Sabra told Reuters.

Sabra’s opposition council, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), was formed in Saudi Arabia last month.

While Salma had been under rebel control since 2012, the government had continued to hold most of the rest of Latakia province, the heartland of Assad’s minority Alawite sect.

“If the regime retakes Rabia, it will be able to secure the northern part of Latakia province”, said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

Russian Federation has said its intervention was to target Islamic State.

The current opposition negotiating team announced in Saudi Arabia earlier this week includes Saudi-backed Islamic rebel factions like Jaish al-Islam, or the Army of Islam, which are considered terrorists by the Syrian government and Russian Federation.

Negotiator Mohamad Alloush said Kerry, who met HNC officials on Saturday, had “come to pressure us to forgo our humanitarian rights… and to go to negotiate for them”.

The telephone conversation was initiated by the US side, the ministry said. Many of Assad’s opponents view it as a legitimate part of the opposition.

The talks, initially scheduled for Monday, were delayed due to disagreements within the United Nations regarding which opposition groups would be permitted to attend.

Secretary of State John Kerry met with Arab leaders to quell their fears over Iran-U.S. relations and to lay the groundwork for the upcoming peace talks over the Syrian conflict. Al-Hilal’s remarks were carried by state media Sunday.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s official spokesman, denied the Financial Times report when asked by reporters on Friday about Sergun’s mission to Damascus.