Syrian opposition accepts Idlib truce: Top Kazakh official

Nur-Sultan, Aug 2 (IANS) The Syrian opposition delegation participating in the 13th round of the Astana Process talks in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan has accepted a truce in Syria's Idlib province, officials said on Friday.

"An agreement has been reached on a truce. It is clear that in Idlib there are terrorists who will not comply, but the Syrian opposition here has accepted the truce," said Kazakh Foreign Ministry's Director of the Asia and Africa Department, Yerzhan Mukash.

On Thursday, after a multi-week offensive that claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians, the Army loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, announced a ceasefire in the area of Idlib, the last opposition stronghold in Syria.

Damascus said the cessation of hostilities depended on the demilitarization of the province of Idlib, in accordance with the agreement reached between Russia and Turkey in the Russian city of Sochi in September 2018, Efe news reported.

The Sochi agreement stopped a potential government offensive in the region and established a humanitarian zone for the nearly 3 million people estimated to live there.

The declaration of the ceasefire by the Syrian military command came after the UN announcement to investigate the damage caused to civil facilities during the al-Assad regime offensive, which is supported by a Russian Air Force contingent deployed in the Arab country.

Syrian opposition representatives, as well as Russia, Turkey and Iran -- the three guarantors of the ceasefire -- and the UN were present at the talks in Nur-Sultan.

Observers from Iraq and Lebanon also participated for the first time in the consultations.