Konflikten i Syrien

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has given assurances that Washington's only goal in Syria is fighting Islamic State, the TASS news agency cited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Thursday.

Lavrov said he had last had a telephone conversation with Tillerson on Oct. 9, the agency reported.

Russia's defence ministry accused the United States on Tuesday of pretending to fight Islamic State and of deliberately reducing its air strikes in Iraq to allow the group's militants to stream into Syria to slow the Russian-backed advance of the Syrian army.

Several Syrian factions have agreed to a ceasefire in southern Damascus as part of an Egyptian-Russian initiative, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported on Thursday

The ceasefire was reached between Geish Al-Islam, Geish Ababil and Aknaf Beit Al-Maqdis militant organisations.

Following a meeting between the Syrian factions, Mohamed Aloush, the head of Geish Al-Islam’s political office, thanked Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Egypt for its role during the negotiations and for encouraging a political solution to the crisis in the country.

The agreement stipulates the opening of the crossings controlled by militants in the area, to allow residents to pass through, and an end to the forced displacement of residents. It also specified that any militant faction willing to join the agreement would have an opportunity to do so.