Russia vows to keep fighting 'terrorism' in
Syria, dashing Munich hopes
The announcement comes despite an agreement in Munich on 12 February that there would be a 'cessation of hostilities' within a week
Syrian girls react following a reported Syrian government air strike in a rebel-held area of Aleppo (AFP) -
The aftermath of a Syrian government or Russian airstrike in Aleppo on 14 February, 2016 (MEE / Thaer Mohammad)
The announcement comes despite an agreement in Munich on 12 February that there would be a 'cessation of hostilities' within a week
Syria, dashing Munich hopes
The announcement comes despite an agreement in Munich on 12 February that there would be a 'cessation of hostilities' within a week
Syrian girls react following a reported Syrian government air strike in a rebel-held area of Aleppo (AFP) -
The aftermath of a Syrian government or Russian airstrike in Aleppo on 14 February, 2016 (MEE / Thaer Mohammad)
The announcement comes despite an agreement in Munich on 12 February that there would be a 'cessation of hostilities' within a week
Russia will continue to give assistance to the Syrian armed forces to fight against "terrorists," Moscow said on Saturday.
"Russia is continuing a consistent line to provide assistance and help to the armed forces of Syria in their offensive actions against terrorists, against terrorist organisations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
He said Russia's intervention will provide "stability in the fight with terrorism, to preserve the teritorial integrity of the country [Syria] and the region".
The announcement comes despite an agreement at Munich on 12 February that there would be a "cessation of hostilities" within a week.
However, the International Syria Support Group talks, attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, failed to agree to an end to Russian air strikes, which had been a key opposition demand.
The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), an umbrella group formed of political opposition bodies and rebel factions, said on Saturday that it would accept a temporary truce as outlined by world powers in Munich but that it would only do so if Syrian government foreign and its Russian and Iranian allies did so first.
"The rebel factions agreed in principle on the possibility of reaching a temporary ceasefire provided it is done with international mediation and with guarantees obliging Russia, Iran and their sectarian militias and mercenaries to stop fighting," HNC chief Riad Hijab said in a statement.
The statement, issued after a meeting of the HNC, said the opposition "wants to respond positively to international efforts to stop the Syrian bloodbath".
"But ... there will not be a truce unless fighting stops simultaneously on the part of all the belligerents, sieges are lifted, humanitarian aid is delivered to those in need, and prisoners, particularly women and children, are released," it said.
