Loud Whispers

The cease fire in Syria brokered by Russia and Turkey has been effected from Thursday midnight. This is a potentially major breakthrough since the conflict had begun. This will be the first nationwide halt in fighting since a week-long truce September 12-19 that collapsed after several incidents of violence.

More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with protests against Assad’s government

The deal, which does not include designated “terrorists” like the Islamic State group, was announced hours earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Syrian army and opposition, Times of Israel reports.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reports: “an hour before the truce started, all the fronts were calm with the exception of a few rockets targeting Aleppo city and two rockets falling in the suburbs of Damascus.”

This agreement is as a result of the successful recaptured of second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces about a week ago.

The agreement is a potential breakthrough in the six-year civil war that has left more than a quarter-million people dead and triggered a refugee crisis across Europe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, left, during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on December 29, 2016. (AFP / Sputnik / Michael Klimentyev), Sourced from Times of Israel.

The call for  a cease-fire agreement in the Kazakh capital Astana was extended by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin to the Syrian President, Bashar Assad, the Syrian presidency said on its Instagram page.

In responds to the negotiation, the said there is a “real chance” for a political settlement. Further commenting, he said the Syrian government will attend peace talks in the Kazakh capital “with an open mind,” but suggested it would not be willing to compromise on the fate of Assad.

“Everything is negotiable except national sovereignty and the people’s right to choose its leadership.”

Putin announced the deal on Thursday, saying the Syrian regime and “main forces of the armed opposition” had signed on.

“The general command of the armed forces announces a complete halt to all hostilities on Syrian territory from the zero hour of December 30th,” Syria’s army said in a statement carried on state television.

Syria’s leading opposition National Coalition body, a political entity based in Turkey, confirmed its support for the truce.

“The National Coalition expresses support for the agreement and urges all parties to abide by it,” spokesman Ahmed Ramadan told AFP.

He said key rebel groups including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham and Army of Islam factions had signed the ceasefire deal, though there was no immediate confirmation from rebel officials.