Syrian army, rebels voice abidance by cease-fire
Updated: 2012-10-26 09:10
(Xinhua)
|
|||||||||
DAMASCUS - The Syrian army and the armed rebels on Thursday voiced commitment to the internationally-backed cease-fire during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha amid rejection from the extremist groups currently operative on ground.
The Syrian army announced in a statement Thursday the halt of all military operations nationwide for the next four days to mark Eid al-Adha, however, preserving the right to retaliate in case the armed rebels continue aggressions against civilians and government troops.
The statement, carried by the state-TV, said the army's general command said the truce will go into effect from Friday morning till Monday.
It, however, made it abundantly clear that the truce would be invalid if the armed groups continued "firing at civilians and government troops as well as attacking public and private properties and using booby-trapped cars and improvised explosive devices."
The truce would also be nullified if the armed groups consolidated their presence or received enforcement with fighters or munitions, the statement said.
For its part, the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) reportedly said Thursday that its armed fighters will honor the Eid truce, but demanded the release of detainees on Friday.
Both sides seemed to have agreed on the truce in response to the international efforts to establish a cease of fighting across Syria during the four-day holiday. But the extremists or jihadist groups declared that they are loose of the truce as the so-called "Ansar al-Islam" group said its fighters will not abide by the truce and questioned the Syrian army's intentions and truthfulness.
Another al-Qaida-linked group, al-Nusra Front, has also reportedly rejected the truce.
The cease-fire proposal was put forward by the UN-Arab League (AL) joint special representative to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, who said Wednesday that the Syrian government accepted his proposal for a cease-fire during the holiday.
"If the cease-fire initiative could succeed, other measures would be built on it and the cease-fire would be implemented on a wider scale and within a complete political process," Brahimi said.
The UN Security Council on Wednesday welcomed the truce initiative, and called on "all regional and international actors to use their influence on the parties concerned to facilitate the implementation of the cease-fire and cessation of violence."
Still, with the rejection of the extremist groups that have totally different agendas far from yearning to democracy and freedom, the prospects of the cease-fire seem slim.
- US backs temporary ceasefire in Syria
- Temporary truce in Syria a silver lining
- Violence narrows chance of cease-fire in Syria
- Syria releases 290 prisoners under presidential pardon
- China supports UN envoy's truce plan in Syria
- Syria accepts ceasefire during Eid holiday
- UN envoy calls for ceasefire in Syria
- Syria's Assad grants general amnesty
Relief reaches isolated village
Rainfall poses new threats to quake-hit region
Funerals begin for Boston bombing victims
Quake takeaway from China's Air Force
Obama celebrates young inventors at science fair
Earth Day marked around the world
Volunteer team helping students find sense of normalcy
Ethnic groups quick to join rescue efforts
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
|
|
|
|
|
|
Today's Top News
Health new priority for quake zone
Xi meets US top military officer
Japan's boats driven out of Diaoyu
China mulls online shopping legislation
Bird flu death toll rises to 22
Putin appoints new ambassador to China
Japanese ships blocked from Diaoyu Islands
Inspired by Guan, more Chinese pick up golf
US Weekly
|
|















