Syrian Armed Groups Urge Russia to Halt Strikes Until Al-Nusra Front Routed

Russia has received a multiple appeals from militant groups in Syria for it to hold off on carrying out airstrikes against extremist positions in territories under their control until they have managed to force out the Nusra Front jihadists there, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – According to the spokesman, some of these militant groups are ready to provide their coordinates to the Russian reconciliation center in order to join the ceasefire once the terrorists have been forced out of the territories under their control.

"Over the past few days, the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the warring sides [in Syria] has received about a dozen calls from the leadership of armed groups in various Syrian provinces, particularly Aleppo and Damascus, asking [us] not to strike until they have completed their engagement with militants from the Nusra Front terrorist group," Konashenkov told reporters.

"With this in mind, it was decided to extend the period of work with separate militias on their accession to the ceasefire, engagement with the terrorists and definition of precise areas under their control,  before [we launch] strikes on extremist positions," the spokesman added.

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. A US-Russia-brokered ceasefire came into force across Syria on February 27, but it does not apply to terrorist organizations active in the country, such as Daesh and the Nusra Front, both of which are outlawed in Russia.