"Almost a third of the population of Al-Qubeir has been killed by Nusra Front militants. So people are intimidated, they initially ran away when they saw us, but returned when realized that water and food was being brought to them, as well as doctors, whom they have not seen for more than three years," Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.
According to Konashenkov, the reconciliation process is progressing well due to the fact that people see with their own eyes the benefits of peace and share their feelings with each other.
Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups, such as Islamic State, which is banned in a several countries, including Russia.
On February 22, Russia and the United States reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2268 endorsing the Russia-US agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Syria on February 26, shortly before the ceasefire came into force. The ceasefire took effect on February 27. It does not apply to terrorist groups operating in the country.
