Warring sides agree to truce near Syria's Homs
Iran Press TV
Thu Jan 15, 2015 6:2PM
Syrian opposition sources say local officials and militants have agreed on a temporary truce deal in a district near the western flashpoint city of Homs.
The 10-day ceasefire beginning on Thursday aims to allow more food into the Wa'ar district, which is the last militant-held area in the city.
Wa'ar has been the scene of a 20-month battle between the foreign-backed militants and Syrian troops with government forces tightening the noose around the terrorists holed up in the area.
The call for a ceasefire was reportedly made by the militants after they lost heavily to government forces.
Local officials have vowed to allow the United Nations deliver food to the area while they will also engage in talks with the militants to find a way out of the current standoff.
Reports suggest that the militants had demanded the truce in a bid to stop heavy military attacks by the government. This comes as Takfiri militants in the area have reportedly lost all their military equipment and are close to a full surrender.
The Takfiri militants have lost considerable swathes of land in northern Syria over the last year. The government and militants agreed to a UN-brokered truce last February which saw the evacuation of civilians trapped in the Old City of Homs.
MS/HMV/SS
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