MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Work by guarantors of the ceasefire in Syria to delineate areas in Syria under the outlawed Daesh jihadist group's and the al-Nusra Front militants' control is nearly done, the head of the Russian General Staff said Tuesday.
"During the meeting [in Astana] work on registering regions controlled by Daesh and al-Nusra Front militants is nearly complete. There are insignificant differences that will be resolved soon. This allows to separate the opposition from terrorist groups," Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi said at a briefing.
Jordan, which took part in the Astana meeting for the first time and provided a detailed account of the situation in southern Syria, noted that a majority of armed groups support the ceasefire, Rudskoi said. Armed formations that have not joined the late December truce are ready to do so, he relayed Jordan's statement.
"The regime of cessation of hostilities has been in force on the Syrian territory since December 30, 2016. The Russian Federation is meeting the responsibilities it undertook and continues work to ensure adherence to it and extension to the whole of the Syrian territory," Rudskoi said.
"Nine humanitarian corridors for the movement of people have been opened in the eastern Ghouta region since February 3. Agreements on joining the cessation of hostilities have been signed with representatives of 30 settlements of eastern Ghouta with population of about 900,000. In Eastern Qalamoun, the government forces, jointly with opposition units, managed to thwart an attempt of attack by Daesh terrorist group detachments. Six settlements in which 25,000 people live have joined the reconciliation process in that area," Rudskoi said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in December that the Syrian government and armed opposition groups had reached an agreement on a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and on readiness to start peace talks.
Moscow has been conducting a counter-terrorist campaign in Syria since September 30, 2015, at President Bashar Assad's request.
