Syrian military joins US, Russia-brokered Aleppo truce
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Syrian emergency personnel secure a street after rockets fired by militants hit al-Dabbeet hospital in government-controlled neighborhood of Muhafaza in the northwestern city of Aleppo on May 3, 2016. (AFP)
The Syrian army has announced that it will join a two-day truce in the northwestern Province of Aleppo.
“The Syrian military says it will respect a 48-hour Aleppo truce after Russia and the US agreed to extend a cessation of hostilities in Syria to the province,” said a statement issued by the Damascus's army command on Wednesday.
The statement added that it would take effect at 1 a.m. local time on Thursday.
Earlier, Washington and Moscow agreed on extending a shaky ceasefire they had brokered in February to Aleppo, which has been divided between government forces in the west and terrorists in the east since 2012.
US Department of State Spokesman Mark Toner announced that since the ceasefire went into effect "on Wednesday at 00:01 Damascus time," there has been an "overall decrease in violence in these areas."
US officials say they were looking into the discrepancy between the announced starting dates of the temporary ceasefire.
"To ensure this continues in a sustainable way, we are coordinating closely with Russia to finalize enhanced monitoring efforts of this renewed cessation," he added.
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