Rebels in Syria's eastern Ghouta welcome UN ceasefire resolution

A Syrian man on crutches walks down a street as smoke billows in the rebel-held town of Douma, in the besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, following air strikes by regime forces on the area on Feb 23, 2018.PHOTO: AFP

BEIRUT (REUTERS, AFP) - The two major rebel factions in Syria's eastern Ghouta welcomed on Saturday (Feb 24) a UN resolution demanding a 30-day truce across the country to allow aid access and medical evacuations.

In separate statements, Jaish al-Islam and Failaq al-Rahman pledged to protect aid convoys that come into the besieged rebel enclave near Damascus. The insurgents said they would commit to a truce, but would respond to any violation by the Syrian government and its allies.

The Ghouta pocket has become the Syria war’s latest flashpoint, after a string of rebel defeats and negotiated withdrawals.Read More