Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Monday 8 May 2017
Syrian army advances at edge of new cease-fire zone

ploy armed forces to se- The United States is not rebels in a Hama offensive
cure the four so-called “de- party to the de-escalation launched in March. The Brit-
escalation zones,” in what agreement, and the Syr- ain-based Syrian Observa-
would amount to unprec- ian government and op- tory for Human Rights and
edented coordination be- position have not signed the Hama-based Khabar
tween the three countries. on to the deal. The armed News Agency meanwhile
Even if the agreement is opposition is critical of the reported intense airstrikes
enforced, it is unlikely to agreement and has de- on the town of Latamneh,
end the conflict. Despite manded a national cease- in opposition-held territory
several rounds of U.N.- fire instead. about 6 kilometers (4 miles)
mediated negotiations in Zalaqiyat is of little strate- to the north.
Geneva, the government gic value save for its hilltop, The Observatory said 11
and opposition remain at according to Hama native pro-government fighters
odds over President Bashar Ahmad al-Ahmad, but it were killed in the Zalaqiyat
Assad’s future role in Syria. was the first point seized by advance. q
This photo shows fighters from
the SDF looking toward the
northern town of Tabqa, Syr-
ia. Syrian government forces
seized a village from rebels on
the edge of a large cease-fire
zone in the northwest on Sun-
day as warplanes targeted
opposition positions farther
inside the area, according to
activists.
(Syrian Democratic Forces,
via AP)

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian gov-
ernment forces seized a
village from rebels on the
edge of a large cease-fire
zone in the northwest on
Sunday as warplanes tar-
geted opposition positions
farther inside the area, ac-
cording to activists.
A local media activist who
goes by the name Obeida
Hamawi said the govern-
ment pushed opposition
fighters out of the village
of Zalaqiyat, in Hama prov-
ince, on Saturday, follow-
ing days of fighting that
killed at least 14 rebels.
Russia, Turkey, and Iran
agreed on Friday to en-
force a cease-fire between
government and opposi-
tion forces in four areas in
Syria, including one that ex-
tends into northern Hama
province, where Zalaqi-
yat lies. It is not clear if the
agreement encompasses
the village. Russia says it will
publish maps by June 4.
The agreement is the lat-
est attempt to reduce the
fighting in Syria, where a
multi-sided war has killed
some 400,000 people and
displaced nearly half of the
country’s population since
2011.
There are still questions
about how the deal will be
enforced. Russia and Iran,
which support the govern-
ment, and Turkey, which
backs the rebels, may de-