The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said it had documented 35 violations of the UN-sponsored truce on its fifth day, Wednesday.
SNHR said that the Russian and regime forces were responsible for 23 violations in the form of continued military operations and airstrikes. The network added it recorded 12 more breaches in the form of arrests carried out by the Assad regime.
The network monitoring the UN-brokered “cessation of hostilities” agreement, which took effect on February 27, said it had documented three violations in Latakia province by Russian forces who continue to launch airstrikes on Syria.
These breaches of the truce bring the total number of the breaches to 180 since it was announced on February 27.
The rights group pointed out it had recorded one rebel fighter killed in clashes with regime forces on Wednesday.
The breaches by military operations were distributed throughout all Syrian provinces, according to the network. The network documented 9 violations in Latakia, 6 in Rural Damascus, 2 in each of Homs and Hama, and 1 in Idlib by regime forces.
SNHR called upon the joint US-Russian task force tasked with monitoring the truce to look into these repeated breaches “as soon as possible.” It also called for publishing the results of the investigations and to prevent their recurrence.
The network cast doubt on the future of the truce agreement as it is sponsored solely by Russia and the United States. It stressed that Russia cannot play the role of a sponsor when it is carrying out airstrikes on behalf of the Assad regime. The network warned that the ceasefire agreement may collapse at any moment, calling on the United States to put pressure on Russia to stop violating the agreement.
Member of the Syrian Coalition Samir Nashar yesterday said that breaches of the truce by the Russian and regime forces escalated on the second day of the truce. He said Russia and the regime have a strategy to target the mainstream armed opposition during the truce.
Nashar warned that these repeated violations will lead to the collapse of the political process, calling on the United Nations, the sponsor of the agreement, to look into these violations and take all necessary measures to stop them. Nashar said that ending Russia’s and the regime’s violations would open the door to the resumption of negotiations to find a political solution through the implementation of the 2012 Geneva Communique. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Agencies)
