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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Rebels, Russia pursue talks over south

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DARAA, Syria: Syrian rebels and local officials pursued talks with Russia on Sunday over the fate of a key southern region facing a government offensive, a Britain-based monitor said. The Jordan-backed talks came as a tentative calm reigned over most fronts in the southern province of Daraa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. A “ceasefire has largely held since Saturday at 7:00 pm (16:00 GMT) to facilitate the ongoing negotiations,” Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.


Since June 19, Russia-backed Syrian forces have ramped up bombardment against opposition fighters in southern Syria as Damascus pushes to retake the area. The region borders Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and is considered to be the cradle of the uprising against President Bashar al Assad seven years ago that sparked the civil war.


The government has chipped away at rebel-held territory in Daraa since the escalation began almost two weeks ago. Most fronts were quiet on Sunday with the exception of areas near Tafas in Daraa’s northwest hit by air strikes, the Observatory said.


Clashes between rebels and Syrian forces in the same area killed four opposition fighters, it said.


Russia is seeking the rebel handover of heavy and medium-sized weapons, and the deployment of Russian military police and Syrian police into towns retaken by government forces, Abdel Rahman said.


Damascus and Moscow are pushing for a deal that would see Syrian forces take over the Naseeb border crossing with Jordan and deploy along the frontier with the Golan Heights, he said.


An AFP correspondent outside Daraa city — part of which is held by rebels — said on Saturday night had been quiet, with only intermittent bombardment. After retaking control of eight towns under Russia-mediated deals on Saturday, Syrian government now controls more than half of Daraa province, up from just 30 per cent before the escalation, according to the Observatory.


State news agency Sana said on Sunday the national flag had been hoisted in one of these towns, Dael, while Syrian state television showed images of people celebrating.


Syrian forces have retaken large parts of the country lost to rebels since Russia intervened on its behalf in 2015. The conflict has killed more than 350,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011.


Meanwhile, Jordan has stepped in to try to avert further violence and stem another wave of displacement across its border with Syria on Sunday, mediating new talks between rebels and Russia for a truce in the southwest.


Talks in the town of Bosra al Sham on Saturday broke down as the army seized more ground in its offensive, with insurgent lines in some areas collapsing, and a string of towns and villages accepting the return of government rule after intense bombardment.


Fighting and bombardment calmed overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, but reignited on Sunday around Tafas, northwest of Deraa, along with heavy air strikes.


Syrian offensive in the southwest aims to reclaim one of two remaining rebel strongholds in Syria, the other being Idlib and adjacent areas in the northwest. Syrian forces captured the last enclaves near Damascus and Homs earlier this year.


Southwest Syria is a “de-escalation zone” of reduced warfare and bombardment agreed by Russia, Jordan and the United States last year.


Washington warned it would respond to violations of this agreement, but has done nothing so far.


Last week, rebels said the United States had told them not to expect any American military support.


The opposition’s chief negotiator in wider UN peace talks, Nasr al Hariri, last week accused the United States of complicity in Assad’s southwest offensive, saying American silence could only be explained by “a malicious deal”.


Peace talks in the town of Bosra al Sham failed when insurgents rejected Russian terms for their surrender, but began again on Sunday under the auspices of Jordan, rebel spokesman Ibrahim al Jabawi said. Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the kingdom was engaged in intensive diplomacy with all parties to help broker a ceasefire that would ease plight of displaced civilians. — AFP


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