Forces loyal to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russian airstrikes and Iran-allied fighters, violated the ongoing truce in Syria 399 times in the first 11 days, according to the Turkey-based opposition group Syrian National Coalition.
Citing a statement from the SNC, some news outlets note that the Syrian regime continues to breach the Russia and Turkey brokered ceasefire, which has entered its second week.
The Assad violations took “place in the southern countryside of Aleppo, Wadi Barada in the countryside of Damascus, and the outskirts of Hama and Daraa, with 271 dead, including 25 women and 34 children,” notes Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya, adding that the fatality count excludes deaths in Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL)-controlled regions.
Shiite Iran’s is Sunni Saudi Arabia’s regional rival.
In September, the opposition group SNC declared that a political solution to the Syrian conflict is “no longer a viable option.”
“The armed Syrian opposition will be considering all options to defend the Syrian people against the Russian aggression on Syria,” Muwaffaq Nyrabiya, vice-president of the group, said in a statement, according to Reuters.
“The armed and political oppositions are working on closing ranks and arranging their priorities in light of the fierce military campaign waged by the regime and its allies and their violations of international resolutions,” it added.
Opposition groups, which reportedly participated in ceasefire discussions in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Wednesday, have reportedly urged the United Nations to stop the attacks and punish the perpetrators.
Russia has vowed to eliminate the “terrorists” in Damascus, noting the the Syrian regime has nearly reached full control of the region. The Assad government, which considers all opposition groups to be terrorists, has recently blamed Israel and terrorists for a “flagrant” attack on a major military airbase outside Damascus.
“Syrian army command and armed forces warn Israel of the repercussions of the flagrant attack and stresses its continued fight against [this] terrorism and amputate the arms of the perpetrators,” the Assad army command said in a statement, notes Reuters.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied their alleged involvement in striking targets inside Syria.
On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu agreed to continue observing the ceasefire in Syria while combating terrorism.
The Syrian conflict has pushed NATO allies the United States and Turkey apart while bringing Ankara and Moscow together.
Turkey has managed to renew its relationship with Russia following the shooting down of a Russian warplane by the Turkish military in November 2015.