Syria truces must not allow terrorists to regroup: Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says terrorists in Syria have taken advantage of the ceasefires enforced in the crisis-hit Arab country to regroup, stressing that Syrian government forces would no more stop fighting unilaterally.
According to the reports, addressing a crisis meeting on Syria at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in New York on Wednesday, Lavrov underlined the need for reining in militant groups on the ground to ensure they respect the truce.
He further called for a review of a list of terror groups not covered by the ceasefire in the violence-wracked state, stressing that Washington had the biggest responsibility to separate the so-called opposition forces from terrorists.
"If we can agree on this kind of comprehensive approach, an integrated multi-faced approach, the chances of a cessation of hostilities surviving and being successful will be better," he added.
Elsewhere in his comments, the top Russian diplomat urged a "thorough and impartial investigation” to look into a recent airstrike targeting a humanitarian aid convoy near the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo, which killed around 20 people.
The United Nations said at least 18 trucks in a 31-vehicle convoy were destroyed late Monday as they came under attack while en route to deliver humanitarian relief to the hard-to-reach town of Urum al-Kubra.
Lavrov described the incident as "an unacceptable provocation,” adding that the Russian side had offered up all the information it had concerning the attack.
He further reiterated that neither the Russian military nor the Syrian army were behind the deadly air raid.
"Our military officials have already made a statement that our Air Forces have not worked there. The Syrian aviation could not work there either because the attack on the convoy occurred during night time,” he said.
Monday’s incident came hours after the Syrian army declared an end to the week-long ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Washington in the Middle Eastern country.
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