Iran and Syria will continue attacks on Damascus suburbs held by “terrorists,” but elsewhere respect a UN resolution demanding a 30-day truce across Syria to allow aid access and medical evacuation, the Iranian military chief of staff was quoted as saying yesterday as new regime strikes were reported in the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta.
“We will adhere to the ceasefire resolution, Syria will also adhere. Parts of the suburbs of Damascus, which are held by the terrorists, are not covered by the ceasefire and clean-up [operations] will continue there,” the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted General Mohammad Baqeri as saying.
After days of diplomatic wrangling, the UN Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria “without delay,” to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations.
Photo: AP
The main rebel groups in Eastern Ghouta, where more than 500 people have died since the bombing campaign was launched a week ago, welcomed the UN vote and said they would abide by a ceasefire.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were to speak by telephone later yesterday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to press for the implementation of the ceasefire “in the coming days.”
The bombing campaign on Eastern Ghouta, a rebel bastion on the eastern outskirts of Damascus, has been one of the heaviest of the seven-year civil war that has pitted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime against a range of groups.
Photo: AFP
In Douma, the main town in Eastern Ghouta, residents woke yesterday to the sounds of fresh air raids and artillery strikes, an Agence France-Presse correspondent in the town said.
Yesterday’s strikes included two on the outskirts of Douma, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Eastern Ghouta, home to about 400,000 people, is surrounded by government-controlled territory and its residents are unwilling or unable to flee.
The two main rebel groups controlling the enclave — Jaish al-Islam and Faylaq al-Rahman — welcomed the Security Council demand, but vowed to fight back in case of renewed attacks.
Jaish al-Islam said it was “committed to protecting humanitarian convoys,” but said it would “immediately respond to any violation.”
UN diplomats say Saturday’s Security Council resolution was watered down to ensure it was not vetoed by Russia. Language specifying that the ceasefire would start 72 hours after adoption was scrapped, replaced by “without delay,” and the term “immediate” was dropped in reference to aid deliveries and evacuations.
In another concession, the ceasefire does not apply to operations against the Islamic State group or al-Qaeda, along with “individuals, groups, undertakings and entities” associated with the militant groups.
In the enclave, news of the UN vote was greeted with a shrug.
“I don’t think this decision will be implemented. It will be respected neither by the regime nor Russia,” Douma resident Abu Mazen said. “We can’t trust Russia or the regime. We are used to their betrayals.” Meanwhile, residents in
Damascus residents said the city was relatively calm yesterday.
There was more traffic in the streets, compared to previous days and most schools and universities were open, they said, although some
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