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Syrian Opposition accuses regime forces of massacre

Geneva – Syria’s opposition will decide by the end of the week whether to attend forthcoming peace talks in Geneva and has complained to the United Nations that Russian air strikes have carried on despite a truce, opposition coordinator Riad Hijab said on Monday.

Syrian government forces, backed by Russia’s air force, Iranian troops and Iraqi militias, have continually breached the temporary ceasefire and used barrel bombs and toxic gas, he told reporters on a conference call.

“Just a few minutes before we came on this conference there was a massacre committed by the air forces of the Russians and the regime in Abu Dhuhour,” he said, referring to a settlement in eastern Idlib governorate.

Dozens of people had been killed and dozens more wounded, he said.

The opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) would consult military commanders and other leaders about whether to attend the talks and participating required a conducive atmosphere, he said.

“It will be before the end of this week, there will be a clear decision about this,” Hijab said through a translator.

Hijab said he had sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to complain about a map of armed groups’ positions, which was published by the Russian Defense Ministry. Hijab said, however, that the map was not accurate.

“If it is being taken seriously it would represent a clear and flagrant violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement,” he said.

The HNC would send a representative to Geneva in the next few days to give an accurate picture to a ceasefire taskforce hosted by the United Nations and chaired by the United States and Russia, he said.

 

Source: Reuters, 7 March 2016

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