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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Ceasefire in Homs indicates possibility of nationwide truce in Syria |
| 2015-12-12 |
| GENEVA – The United Nations in Syria and its partners have evacuated more than 300 fighters along with their families from the last rebel-held neighbourhood of the western city of Homs, as part of a local truce the UN Special Envoy for Syria has described as having “great value” toward demonstrating that a nationwide ceasefire is “doable.” The Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, said “the UN’s clear goal is to reach, as soon as possible, a nationwide ceasefire,” Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq told the regular press briefing at UN Headquarters on Friday. Meanwhile, “initiatives like this one bring relief to besieged or isolated communities and have great value,” Mr. Haq quoted the envoy as saying. “They help the perception that a nationwide ceasefire brokered by the members of the International Syria Support Group is doable and that the UN can and will do its part.” Technical preparatory talks for the next International Syria Support Group meeting are taking place today in Geneva, Switzerland. The evacuation operation from Homs was carried out on Wednesday when a UN team and its partners moved about 700 people, including 30 wounded, from the Al Waer neighbourhood and transferred to Idlib governorate, as stipulated in a local ceasefire agreement. The spokesperson said the evacuation, in addition to the previous entry of humanitarian assistance on 5 December, made a significant change in the lives of more than 60,000 people with limited access to such assistance living inside Al Waer and the wider geographic area of Homs, one of the most heavily damaged cities in the Syrian war that erupted in 2011. More at the link |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #3 |
| Posted by: Frank G 2015-12-12 11:29 |
| #2 And where are these 300 fighters going to fight now? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2015-12-12 10:02 |
| #1 What a buncha nave maroons. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2015-12-12 07:41 |