372 breaches of “cessation of hostilities” by terrorist organizations since 27 February

Moscow – The Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Hemeimim Coordination Center observed 4 breaches by terrorist organizations for the Cessation of Hostilities agreement during the past 24 hours in the countryside of Lattakia, Hama and Homs provinces which led to the increase of breaches to 372 since the agreement went into effect on 27 February, SANA reported.

Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman, Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement that all breaches were perpetrated by the armed members of Jaish al- Islam and Ahrar Al-Sham who targeted a number of towns with mortars and shell launchers.

ISIS and al-Nusra terrorists continue provoking the civilians and the Syrian army in the countryside of Idleb and Aleppo, where terrorists of Jabhat al-Nusra launched a terrorist attack against Al-Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo killing 18 civilians and injuring 60, Gen. Konashenkov added.

The Russian spokesman affirmed that the Cessation of Hostilities agreement is, in general, still standing, indicating that a reconciliation agreement was achieved with representatives of a town in the countryside of Homs. He also pointed to the success of talks with an armed group from the countryside of Aleppo to join the agreement.

The Cessation of Hostilities agreement, which went into effect since 27 February, does not include Jabhat Al-Nusra, ISIS and other terrorist organizations classified on the international terrorist organization list.

On the other hand, Seregey Koshelev, the chief of the Foreign Military Cooperation Directorate of the Russian Defense Ministry said that his country and the US had coordinated a document which defines means of dealing with armed groups in Syria that violate the Cessation of Hostilities agreement.

Koshelev told Russian News Service Radio that the document was prepared and coordinated with the US and the work is underway for defining principles of applying it.