New Tactics? 'Syrian Army May Regroup' to Destroy Daesh Amid Ceasefire

The Syrian Army may regroup and focus on fighting Daesh terrorists as the ceasefire is being observed by the opposing sides in Syria, according to Russian military expert Alexander Perendzhiyev.

In an interview with RIA Novosti, Russian military expert Alexander Perendzhiyev suggested that the ongoing ceasefire in Syria may prompt the country's army to regroup and concentrate on a crackdown against Daesh.

"Regrouping the Syrian Army amid the ceasefire and the desire of some opposition forces to support President Bashar Assad in the fight against international terrorism may help Syria do away with  Daesh occupation," Perendzhiev said.

However, he was somewhat skeptical about all the sides sticking to the 14-day ceasefire, which he said will become a litmus test for them.

In this vein, Perendzhiev did not rule out that the United States may accuse Russia and Syria of disrupting the peace process, a scenario that the said can be avoided if the Russian Defense Ministry is tasked with the comprehensive monitoring of the ceasefire regime.

"The Russian military and the diplomats will have to not only respond to possible information attacks but also deal with pre-emptive steps," he said.

Perendzhiev expressed hope that the Russian Defense Ministry is already effectively monitoring the situation in the region and that if necessary, the ministry will present visual evidence of any provocation to the international community.

According to him, the monitoring should specifically be related to actions taken by Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which are "unwilling to retreat from the issue of President Assad's ouster instead of focusing on the real fight against international terrorism."

Russia and the United States reached an agreement on the ceasefire in Syria on February 22. The ceasefire took effect at midnight on Saturday Damascus time (22:00 GMT on Friday).

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2268 endorsing the Russia-US agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Syria on Friday, shortly before the ceasefire came into force.

#SYRIA Russia fully implements its ceasefire obligations but it does not mean that terrorists can give a sign of relief

— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 27 февраля 2016 г.

The cessation of hostilities does not apply to designated terrorist organizations operating in Syria, including Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) and the Al-Nusra Front, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda.

#SYRIA Today since 01:00 (MSK) Rus #AerospaceForces stopped striking areas and armed formations which have sent ceasefire applications

— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 27 февраля 2016 г.

The Russian Defense Ministry said, in turn, that "Russian aircraft aren't performing strikes in those regions where a willingness to cease fire and to start negotiations were expressed."

Russia's ongoing air campaign in Syria was launched on September 30, when more than fifty Russian warplanes, including Su-24M, Su-25 and Su-34 jets, commenced precision airstrikes on Daesh and Al-Nusra Front targets at the behest of Syrian President Bashar Assad. In addition, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed earlier this month that advanced, super-maneuverable Su-35S multi-role fighters had begun their combat mission in Syria.