Road to Peace: Syrian Ceasefire Guarantors Note 'Significant' Drop in Violations

Syrian ceasefire guarantor countries are registering the decrease in the number of truce violations by conflicting sides, Maj. Gen. Stanislav Gadzhimagomedov, the head of the Russian delegation at Astana consultations, said Monday.

ASTANA (Sputnik) — Earlier on Monday, the first meeting of the Syria ceasefire regime monitoring joint task force (JTF), bringing together experts from Russia, Iran and Turkey, concluded in the Kazakh capital.

"During the meeting, we discussed the implementation of the ceasefire regime [in Syria]. The violations still occur, but their number has decreased significantly, and we agreed to continue work on this issue to stop these violations and provocations completely," Gadzhimagomedov, deputy chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, told reporters in Astana.

Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front and Daesh, banned in a range of countries, including Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in December that the Syrian government and armed opposition groups had reached an agreement on a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and on readiness to start peace talks.