Syria Ceasefire Violated 5 Times in Damascus Area in Past 24 Hours

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that a total of five ceasefire violations were registered in Syria’s Damascus province in the last 24 hours, although the truce largely held.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A total of five ceasefire violations were registered in Syria’s Damascus province in the last 24 hours, although the truce largely held, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.

"The ceasefire has been observed in most provinces of the Syrian Arab Republic. Within last 24 hours, 5 ceasefire violations have been registered in the Damascus province," the ministry said in a daily bulletin posted on its website.

Russia’s reconciliation center in western Syria’s Hmeimim stressed that self-described "opposition" Jaysh al-Islam group continued shelling Syrian army positions in Arbil as well as the village of Harasta al-Bansal. This was despite a Russia-US brokered ceasefire deal that came into being in Syria on February 27.

"Within the last 24 hours, a truce agreement with representatives of one settlement in the [northern Syria's] Aleppo province has been reached. The total number of settlements, whose leaders have signed reconciliation agreements, has reached 146," the center also said.

The negotiations with field commanders of the opposition groups are ongoing in the Arab country's provinces of Aleppo, Hama and Homs, the center added.