(VOVworld) - Clashes continue in Syria despite renewed ceasefire put in place two weeks ago. Fire exchanges between government troops and gunmen have caused heavier casualties.

A devastated street in Aleppo, Syria (Photo: Reuters)

At least 6 civilians including 2 children were killed in Aleppo on Friday. Self claimed Islamic State terrorists launched biggest attack targeting government controlled positions in Deir al-Zor, eastern Syria last month and killed dozens of people.

On Friday, the Turkish Foreign Minister has confirmed Turkey and Russia’s inviting the US to join Syrian peace talks. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has repeated that Ankara had opposed to Syria’s Kurdish People’s Protection Units participating in the peace talks. The same day, the High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian Opposition voiced its support to Russia and Turkey’s arranged talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. The ceasefire excluded Al Qaeda linked Jabhat al-Sham and IS. Only 7 Islamic extremist groups with some 60,000 gunmen signed the deal while all Islamic fighters in Syria, including the IS, outnumber 120,000. In other words, half of Turkish defined opposition groups accepted the truce, leaving it null and void to other extremist gunmen. They would take this as an opportunity to restructure and receive aids, leading to ceasefire deadlock.

The Syrian national ceasefire began at 0 hour on December 30. This was the 3^rd truce last year with the participation of Russia, Turkey and Iran, following the collapse of the first two agreements arranged by the US and Russia in February and September.  The ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey was considered an initial step in the Syrian peace talks since 2011. However, recent clashes in Syria cast doubts on Syrian peace negotiations to take place in Kazakhstan later this month.