Syrian Military Declares 72-Hour Truce Across Syria Ahead of Eid

The Free Syrian Army rebel alliance and US State Secretary have welcomed the 72 hour truce.

Syrian President Bashar Assad (fourth from right) prays at the Safa Mosque on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramada, Syria, 6 July 2016. (Photo: AP)

The Syrian military has declared a 72-hour “regime of calm” covering all of Syria from 1 am on Wednesday (2200 GMT Tuesday), a military source told Reuters, although fighting and air attacks have been reported since then.

The military high command said in a statement that “a regime of calm will be implemented across all territory of the Syrian Arab Republic for a period of 72 hours from 1 am on 6 July until 2400 on 8 July 2016”.

The Syrian government uses the term “regime of calm” to denote a temporary ceasefire.

The truce covers the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday celebrated by Muslims to mark the end of Ramadan. There was no indication that it had been agreed with any of the myriad groups opposing the government.

An undated picture of ISIS members in Raqqa, Syria. (Photo: AP)

Rebel Alliance Agrees to Ceasefire

The Free Syrian Army rebel alliance said on Wednesday it would abide by a ceasefire announced by the Syrian government earlier in the day for the Eid holiday period.

We, the armed revolutionary groups in Syria, welcome any effort towards a ceasefire for the happy Eid al-Fitr period. We declare we will abide by it so long as the other side does the same.

Tweet by Prominent Syrian Rebel

Forces Attacked Town Despite Ceasefire

Syrian rebel group Jaish al-Islam said in a statement that, despite the announced truce, government and allied forces had attacked the town of Maydaa, in the Eastern Ghouta area east of Damascus.

Maydaa had been held by Jaish al-Islam, which is part of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) representing the opposition at international peace talks.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Wednesday that government and allied forces had taken almost complete control of Maydaa and that fighting continued. Syrian state media said the army and its allies had taken ground from “terrorists” in the area. The Syrian government describes all groups fighting against it as terrorists.

The Britain-based Observatory, which monitors the Syrian conflict, also said there had been rebel and government shelling in areas around the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, and air strikes had hit towns in the northern Aleppo countryside on Wednesday.

Syrian state media also reported army operations against ISIS militants across the country on Wednesday.

US-Russian plan does not include ISIS, aimed at bringing a halt to the fighting in Syria. (Photo: Reuters)

US State Secretary Welcomes Truce

US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the announcement, adding that discussions were under way to try to extend the truce.

We are trying very hard to grow these current discussions into a longer-lasting... enforceable, accountable cessation of hostilities that could change the dynamics on the ground.

John Kerry, US State Secretary

US Secretary of State John Kerry at a news conference. (Photo: Reuters)

The open-ended February “cessation of hostilities” truce, which was intended to facilitate talks to end the five-year-old civil war, was agreed with many opposition militias, but did not include the al-Qaeda affiliated Nusra Front or ISIS.

But the truce has mostly collapsed since then and the Syrian army and the Russian military, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have announced a number of temporary local truces in areas of intense fighting, for example in the city of Aleppo or near the capital Damascus.

But air strikes and fighting have often continued in spite of the declarations.