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Executive Summary for January 3rd

We review the key developments in Syria, including rebels freezing peace talks as they accuse the government of violating a cease-fire, nearly 1,300 people fleeing the Barada Valley amid continued government and rebel fighting and two suicide bombs in Tartous.

Published on Jan. 3, 2017 Read time Approx. 3 minutes

Rebels Freeze Peace Talks, Accuse Government of Violating Cease-Fire

On Monday Syrian rebel groups said they will freeze talks about their participation in Russian-brokered peace negotiations unless pro-government forces stop violating the cease-fire, the Guardian reported.

“The regime and its allies have continued firing and committed many and large violations,” said a statement signed by several rebel groups. The statement also said any territorial gains by government or allied forces would terminate the cease-fire.

The Russian- and Turkish-brokered cease-fire started on Friday and on Saturday it was welcomed by the United Nations Security Council. If it holds, Syrian government and rebel groups will participate in Moscow-sponsored peace negotiations in Kazakhstan later this month.

The rebel statement accused government and allied, Iranian-backed forces of violating the cease-fire deal and attempting to seize control of the rebel-held Barada Valley region northwest of Damascus. They also questioned Moscow’s ability to maintain their allies’ commitment to the cease-fire.

Nearly 1,300 People Flee Continued Fighting in Barada Valley

Hundreds of people fled mountainous suburbs outside Damascus on Sunday amid continued fighting between government and rebel forces, the Associated Press reported.

Nearly 1,300 people have fled the Barada Valley area since Saturday, according to the Syrian military. These people were relocated to safer areas. The United Kingdom-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said buses were present in the area but could not confirm the number of those evacuated.

Government and allied forces have targeted the region with airstrikes for more than 10 consecutive days and continue to battle rebel forces there, including an al-Qaida-affiliated group, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.

The Barada Valley region is the primary source of water for Damascus and adjacent areas. The Ain al-Fijeh spring and water processing plant were reportedly destroyed in government airstrikes. The government has accused the rebels of poisoning the water with diesel fuel, causing a severe water shortage in Damascus since December 22.

On Thursday the U.N. warned that 4 million people are without safe drinking water in the capital because “infrastructure was deliberately targeted and damaged.” It did not say who was responsible, Reuters reported.

“The U.N. is concerned the water cut could lead to diseases transmitted through dirty water, especially in children, in addition to the extra financial burden for families,” the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

Barada Valley is located on the road between Damascus and the Lebanese border, a key supply line for the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah, a Syrian government ally.

Suicide Bombers Attack Security Forces in Tartous

Two suicide bombs in Tartous killed at least two security officers on Saturday, Reuters reported.

Others, including civilians, were also injured in the blast, according to Syrian state television and the SOHR.

The security officers were part of a patrol attempting to stop the bombers, Syrian state television said.

Located in the Syrian government’s coastal heartland, the city of Tartous has not witnessed such attacks since a series of bombings killed dozens of people in May.

Russia, the Syrian government’s key ally, has maintained a naval facility in the port city since 1977. Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a decree on December 23, 2016, to expand the current facility, following an announcement in October that the country would establish a permanent naval base there, according to Russian state-run news agency Sputnik News.

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