Kerry stalls on jihadist strikes until Assad lets aid into Aleppo

The Latest on developments in Syria, where a cease-fire brokered by the US and Russian Federation has been holding since coming into effect earlier this week (all times local): 6:25 p.m.

The Pentagon said Friday dozens of US Special Operations Forces have been deployed to Syria’s border with Turkey to fight IS, at Ankara’s request, in support of the Turkish military and “vetted” Syrian rebels.

Rami Abdel-Rahman, the Observatory head, expressed fears for the truce, which is the second this year to be brokered by Washington and Moscow.

Russia had agreed to impose a ban on air raids by Russian and Syrian fighter bombers in some areas of the country.

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s description of the Kerry-Lavrov call said the two men had focused on implementation of the agreement that they reached a week ago in Geneva, according to Russian news agencies. He says the USA has failed to take measures to ensure the opposition’s compliance with the agreement.

He quoted Russian observers of the ceasefire near the besieged city of Aleppo and said that the “the only party which is willing to hold talks, comply with the cease-fire and pull back the troops in order to allow United Nations humanitarian aid convoys” are the Syrian government forces. The agreement has not been made public but officials familiar with it have told The Associated Press it contains a highly technical series of requirements for both Assad’s government and opposition forces.

Syrian troops withdrew from a main road leading to the besieged rebel-held part of the city for hours before returning to their positions later Friday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The government-held side of the contested city of Aleppo is home to a large Christian minority.

France and other council members have said they must first learn more details about the deal before considering whether to endorse it. SANA says there were 23 violations of the truce deal in Aleppo on Thursday alone.

Meanwhile, Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the ceasefire was “by and large” holding steady despite complaints of violations, but urged the United States to do more to influence the rebel groups it supports in Syria.

“There seems to be little pullback by both sides [Syrian government and rebels] on that road to allow this aid in”, Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Gazientep on the Turkish border with Syria, said.

“By today this morning nothing had happened on the Castello Road …”

But as well as a reduction in violence the United States also demanded that supplies be allowed to reach areas under siege across the country and especially in Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city. The Lebanese station enjoys wide access in government-held areas in Syria and usually has reporters embedded with Syrian troops. Aid deliveries are part of a U.S. -Russia deal that imposed a cease-fire, which started Monday.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident, but it acknowledged that US special operations forces are accompanying Turkish and Syrian opposition forces battling Islamic State in and around the area of the Syrian border near Jarabulus and al-Rai. The attack, which had been targeting Islamic State militants, hit Syrian soldiers instead, according to the Russian military.

In Washington, a USA official said the session was canceled because the Russians were trying to force the U.S. to make the ceasefire deal public.

Washington accused Damascus of blocking aid.

The US has warned Russian Federation that it will not set up a promised military cooperation project until Syria’s regime forces allow aid into besieged cities. Churkin, speaking to reporters, suggested there was lack of unity in the US administration toward the agreement. He says that Moscow hopes that “our American counterparts will do the same”.

On Friday, two children were among three civilians killed in air strikes on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun in the northwest province of Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Power said the US “regrets” the loss of life, promising an investigation into the attack.

Obama was due to gather top national security aides later Friday with the ceasefire set to dominate a meeting ostensibly about countering IS.

The United States has “made clear” to Russian Federation that it won’t start joint military operations in Syria until humanitarian aid reaches besieged areas of the war-torn country, the State Department said Friday.

Under the truce deal, the main route for humanitarian assistance into divided Aleppo, the Castello Road, would be demilitarised and aid convoys would enter from Turkey.