Terrorists using Syria truce to regroup: Russia's Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Takfiri terrorists operating in Syria of abusing a recently implemented ceasefire in the crisis-hit Middle Eastern country to regroup.

"We see attempts to regroup among these terrorists," Putin told reporters in the Kyrgyz capital city of Bishkek on Saturday.

He said that the US cannot make a distinction between the so-called moderate opposition in Syria and Takfiri terrorists active in the Arab country.

"This is because of the difficulties they (the Americans) are facing... that they still can't separate the healthy part of the (Syrian) opposition from the semi-criminal,” he explained.

The Russian leader further stressed that his country is holding to its part of the Moscow-Washington mediated truce deal in Syria, with the Syrian army "fully abiding" by the cessation of hostilities.

Elsewhere in his comments, Putin expressed his "positive" attitude towards the ceasefire and voiced hope that the US would stick to its commitments on Syria, saying he believed that Moscow and Washington have a common goal of truce there.

"I would like us to be honest with one another... I don't really understand why we have to hide any agreements,” Putin said referring to the US failure to share with the United Nations documents outlining the joint Syria truce agreement.

Russia has repeatedly warned it could resume airstrikes on the so-called moderate militants unless Washington did more to distance them from extremists.

SS