Konflikten i Syrien

The US and Russia have adopted “Terms for a Cessation of Hostilities in Syria” and propose that a ceasefire start on February 27 at 00:00 (Damascus time), according to an official joint statement.

According to the statement, the truce will “be applied to [all] those parties to the Syrian conflict that have indicated their commitment” to accept its terms. It will exclude Islamic State, Al Nusra Front and “other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council.”

Syrian Kurds will not recognize the outcome of the upcoming intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva as the talks will be held without their participation, a representative of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) said Wednesday.

PYD has not been invited by the United Nations to the talks between the Syrian government and the opposition that are scheduled to begin in Switzerland on Friday. The Kurdish party accused Ankara of throwing its weight behind the UN decision.

“Syrian Kurds did not receive an invitation to take part in the negotiations, while terrorists did. For example, the groups Ahrar ash-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam will be represented — the very groups that fired missiles at the Russian Embassy in Damascus,” Abd Salam Ali, the Kurdish Democratic Union Party’s representative to Russia, told RIA Novosti.

Syrian Kurds will not recognize outcome of Geneva talks: official
Syrian Kurds will not recognize the outcome of the upcoming intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva as the talks will be held without their participation

Two small jihadist groups based in the Syrian capital of Damascus – Ansar al Sharia and Al Muntasir Billah – have sworn allegiance to Abu Muhammad al Julani, the head of Al Nusrah Front.
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In Oct. 2015, Al Nusrah, Ahrar al Sham and a third group, Ajnad al Sham, created a joint operations room named Jund al Malahim (“Soldiers of the Epics”) to combine their military efforts in the countryside of Damascus.

Al Nusrah has earned the loyalty of a number of groups since late last year. In Sept. and Oct. 2015, the following organizations all officially joined Al Nusrah: Jaish al Muhajireen wal Ansar (JMWA, or “the Army of the Emigrants and Helpers”), Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad (a predominately Uzbek organization), and Crimean Jamaat (comprised mainly of Crimean Tartars and other Russian-speaking militants).

Earlier this month, one dozen religious and military officials in Jund al Aqsa, another al Qaeda-linked group, also decided to join Al Nusrah.

Marco Manuel Marsili ‏@MarcoMarsili1 17 min
Jund al-Aqsa account denies any involvement in cutting the road from Khanasir with ISIS and rejects all rumors spread by different sources