Syrian rebels Ahrar al-Sham reject truce
(VOVworld) – An influential Syrian rebel group, the hardline Islamist Ahrar al-Sham, on Sunday rejected the truce deal brokered by Russia and the United States hours before it was due to begin.
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| Opposition fighters from the Ahrar Al-Sham brigade (Photo: AFP) |
A high-ranking member of the group, which works closely with former Al-Qaeda affiliate the Fateh al-Sham Front, said in a statement on YouTube that the deal would only serve to "reinforce" the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Ahrar al-Sham also rejected the aspect of the deal in which Washington is supposed to convince mainstream opposition fighters to break their alliance with Fateh al-Sham.
Earlier rebels from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) said they would actively cooperate to implement the ceasefire but expressed concerns that the deal would benefit the government due to lack of implementation mechanisms and provisions for surrounded areas.