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Assad Not Allowed to Go After Terrorists Under Ceasefire - US State Dept.

© Sputnik / Mikhail Voskresenskiy / Go to the mediabankSyrian President Bashar al-Assad meets with Russian parliamentary delegation in Damascus
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meets with Russian parliamentary delegation in Damascus - Sputnik International
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The new US-Russia ceasefire deal for Syria does not include approval of strikes by the government of President Bashar Assad against terrorists, US Department of State spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The spokesperson noted that the primary purpose of the ceasefire deal "is to prevent the Syrian regime air force from flying or striking in any areas in which the opposition or Nusra [Jabhat Fatah Al Sham] are present."

"To clarify: the arrangement announced last week makes no provision whatsoever for the US and Russia to approve strikes by the Syrian regime, and this is not something we could ever envision doing," Kirby stated.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confer at the conclusion of their press conference about their meeting on Syria in Geneva, Switzerland September 9, 2016. - Sputnik International
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Early Reports on Renewed Syria Ceasefire Indicate 'Some' Reduction in Violence
On September 9, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced a new peace plan to address the conflict in Syria that called for a ceasefire to come into force on Monday.

If the new ceasefire in Syria lasts for seven days, the United States and Russia will work together to establish a joint implementation center (JIC), and carry out strikes against the Nusra Front.

During a briefing earlier on Monday, Kirby said that the Assad government would be able to strike the Nusra terrorists.

"They [the Assad government] will be permitted, if there is consensus here inside the JIC, to hit a designated, a known Nusra target," Kirby stated. "There is no prohibition under this arrangement for them to do that."

Kirby also said that "the whole idea" of discussions with Russia was "to provide level of certainty and visibility of where Assad would be able to fly."

Kirby added that there was never a plan to ground Assad forces permanently, but underscored they would not be able to fly over opposition-controlled or mixed areas.

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