Member of the opposition’s negotiating delegation in Geneva Mohammed Aboud said that the armed opposition would exercise its right to respond to the Assad regime’s violations of the truce and to defend themselves in case of an attack. He warned that the FSA and other rebel groups will no longer tolerate any aggression by the Assad regime and its allies and will carry on with its primary mission to defend Syrian civilians.
Aboud pointed out that the Assad regime continues to bomb civilians and prevent the introduction of humanitarian aid to the besieged areas even during the negotiations in Geneva. He stressed that the regime is exploiting the negotiations to cover up its continued crimes against the Syrian people.
The Free Syrian Army and other rebel groups earlier today announced they had set up a joint operations room to response to the violations of the truce by regime forces and militants of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
A statement issued by the FSA and rebel groups announced the launch of a new offensive against pro-regime forces dubbed “Repelling the Aggressors”, in response to the regime forces’ repeated breaches of the truce and their targeting of the IDP camps and residential areas.
The FSA and rebel groups vowed that “any regime position that fires a single shell against civilians will be met with a strong response so as to deter other regime positions and military checkpoints where the shelling comes from.”
The statement was signed by Ahrar al-Sham, Failaq al-Sham, Jaish al-Islam, Jaish al-Mujahideen, Ansar al-Sham, the 1st Coastal Division, Jaish al-Izza, the Northern Division, and Jaish al-Nasr. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
