Syria sees heavy airstrikes as truce nears

The Syrian government and a leading opposition bloc have agreed to the cessation of hostilities, but the accord excludes U.N.-designated terrorist groups like the Islamic State and Nusra Front, which hold swaths of Syrian territory.

Turkey has said that it would not be bound by the Syria cease-fire agreement that comes into effect at midnight Friday and would take action against the YPG if it threatens Turkey.

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, head of Jabhat al-Nusra, called on armed groups to intensify their attacks against President Bashar al-Assad and his allies, warning that the planned cessation of hostilities was a “trick” by the West to push Syrians “back under the thumb of the oppressive regime”.

Lavrov pointed out that the Russian-US statement on cessation of hostilities in Syria was positively assessed by the worldwide community, noting that it will be referred to the UN Security Council for approval today.

Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said the agreement could be “a turning point” in the war, even as Russian planes launched a wave of attacks on non-jihadist rebel areas before the deadline. The airstrikes were “more intense than usual”, the Agence France-Presse news group reported. “When our planners or coordinators are connected with them, in terms of making sure their air strikes are in the right place, clearing fires so that we can quickly attack targets that appear to the front of the SDF forces, that goes much smoother”.

One Douma resident told AFP that “the bombing is very heavy” while another described “very big explosions” in the city.

The state news agency Tass quoted him as saying that the “decisive fight against them will certainly continue”.

“We have high hopes that we will be able to get through to these places”, he said.

He admitted the dispute over the YPG had caused tensions between Turkey and the USA – key North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies – but said Washington was now becoming more cautious in its support of the group.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Washington had received assurances from Moscow that it would not bomb the “moderate opposition” after the truce.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed that his country’s air force would continue operations against Islamic State (Isis), the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front and other terror organisations not covered by the ceasefire.

Diplomats are reported to be working to define areas that will fall under the partial truce and to set up monitoring mechanisms.

Syria’s government and rebels will re-start peace talks on March 7 if a ceasefire holds and more humanitarian aid reaches civilians, the United Nations envoy said Friday.

Meanwhile, nearly 100 rebel factions have agreed to respect the truce, the main Syrian opposition group has said.

“This is a regime that can not be trusted”, al-Masalmeh said.

He also said he was not “under any illusions” about possible pitfalls, but that the ceasefire could help bring about an end to the war.

Earlier, US President Barack Obama said the success of the cessation would depend on whether warring parties including the Syrian government, Russian Federation and their allies lived up to their commitments.

“The coming days will be critical and the world will be watching”, he added.