http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/hezbollah-bars-russian-officers-from-damascus-suburb/720808
Hezbollah militiamen on Wednesday blocked a Russian military delegation from entering the besieged Wadi Bardi area in the countryside of Damascus, according to local sources.
The sources, preferring anonymity for security reasons, said residents of the area had invited the delegation -- consisting of four Russian military officers -- to oversee implementation of a ceasefire agreement that went into effect last week.
The delegation, however, was stopped from entering the area by Hezbollah militiamen before being forced to return to Damascus, the sources alleged.
In a related development the same day, Syrian regime aircraft reportedly dropped a number of improvised "barrel bombs" on Wadi Bardi.
Since Dec. 23, at least 30 civilians have been killed in attacks by the Syrian regime and allied militias in the Wadi Bardi area.
According to local sources, the Syrian regime and its allies have violated the ceasefire numerous times in Wadi Bardi.
Brokered by Turkey and Russia, the ceasefire agreement went into effect almost one week ago.
Reporting by Halit Suleyman; Writing by Ali H. M.Abo Rezeg
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http://aa.com.tr/en/turkey/one-turkish-soldier-martyred-in-n-syria-operations/720414
A Turkish soldier was martyred and three others were "slightly" injured during the operations in northern Syria as part of the ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield, according to a Turkish military source on Wednesday.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said the Turkish Army had hit northern Syrian cities of Bzagah Kabr al-Mukri, Suflaniyah and Zammar killing 14 Daesh terrorists in the last 24 hours.
12 Daesh targets including a weapons depot, terrorist group headquarters and shelters had also been hit in simultaneous air-and-ground operations.
The Turkish Army is supporting Free Syrian Army fighters liberate Al-Bab, a strategic city for Daesh.
The Turkey-led Operation Euphrates Shield, which began in late August, aims to improve security, support coalition forces and eliminate the terrorist threat along Turkey’s border using Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters backed by Turkish artillery and jets.
Turkey and Russia, as the guarantors of a ceasefire deal between the Syrian regime and opposition groups, will establish checkpoints in Syria in order to monitor the truce and possible violations.
The
Hürriyet Daily News has obtained the ceasefire document, which provides details of a mechanism for monitoring the ceasefire and a schedule for the planned peace negotiations.
In order to record violations to the ceasefire, “the guarantors will establish checkpoints in residential areas in the vicinity of the actual line of contact among the parties in order to guarantee compliance with the ceasefire by the parties,” read the agreement dated on Dec. 29.
A Turkish official also confirmed to the Daily News that Turkish and
Russian officials will be located in different regions of Syria for truce monitoring activities.
Turkey and
Russia will establish joint monitoring centers to closely follow the implementation of a ceasefire between the Syrian regime and the opposition groups, another Turkish official earlier told the Daily News, adding that the former will use its Eskişehir Main Air Base and the latter its Hmeimim Air Base in Syria to this end.