Syrian Rebels Groups Say They Will Attend Peace Talks

Some Syrian rebel factions will attend peace talks with the government set to begin later this month in Kazakhstan, Reuters reported.

Peace talks brokered by Russia and Turkey are scheduled to begin in the Kazakh capital of Astana on January 23. Talks are aimed at expanding on the nationwide cease-fire implemented late last month that has already seen multiple violations.

At a meeting in the Turkish capital of Ankara, rebels said that a new delegation would be formed to attend the peace talks, headed up by Mohammad Alloush, a former Syrian rebel negotiator with the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee, Reuters noted.

The new delegation will be formed in coordination with the HNC, the main opposition political council, but it will differ from it because “the Russians are focusing very much on the military factions,” Zakaria Malahifji, an official with the Fastaqim rebel group, told Reuters.

Malahifji said that “the majority of the groups decided to attend. Discussions will be on the cease-fire – the humanitarian issues – aid deliveries, release of detainees.”

Shelling in Wadi Barada Valley Kills at Least 12

At least 12 people were killed and some 20 others were injured in Syrian government shelling on Sunday in the Wadi Barada valley outside Damascus, the Associated Press reported.

Shelling hit a banquet hall in the village of Deir Qanoun, where hundreds of civilians had taken refuge after fleeing fighting between rebels and pro-government forces in Wadi Barada in recent weeks.

Clashes in Wadi Barada, which houses the main water pumping station that provides water to Damascus, began on December 22. The government accused rebels of poisoning the water supply and rebels accused the government of destroying the pump in airstrikes.

Fighting was ongoing from both sides on Monday at the main water pumping station at the al-Fijah spring that provides water to some 65 percent of the capital’s neighborhoods, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

ISIS Continues Assault on Deir Ezzor City

The so-called Islamic State (ISIS) over the weekend launched the biggest assault on Deir Ezzor that the eastern city has seen in a year, Reuters reported.

At least 82 people have been killed since militants began their operation, including 28 members of pro-government forces, at least 40 ISIS fighters and 14 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In the first 48 hours of the offensive, ISIS militants targeted positions of the Syrian army and allied militias, the airbase in Deir Ezzor and the mountain that overlooks the city, the Observatory reported. The Syrian government retaliated with heavy airstrikes on the area

ISIS has controlled most of Deir Ezzor province since 2015, but the government has maintained control of the airport and nearby neighborhoods.

RECOMMENDED READS:

• The Guardian: Iran Repopulates Syria With Shia Muslims to Help Tighten Regime’s Control
• PBS Newshour: Obama Leaves Complicated Legacy in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria
• CNN: Journey to Safety Was More Terrifying Than Aleppo, Activists Say
• The Guardian: Russia’s Influence Has Risen but Iran Is the Real Winner in Aleppo
• The Associated Press: U.N Agency Chiefs Urge Access for Aid to Civilians in Syria