Fatah Army resumes bombing on Shiite villages as negotiations fail

Fatah Army early Sunday has resumed bombing on the last two Shiite villages in the northwestern province of Idlib as a temporary ceasefire between warring parties collapsed on Saturday.

The alliance of Islamist groups, including dominant Ahrar al-Sham movement, had launched an attack on Kefraya and al-Foua villages, killing a child and wounded 12 more people, Reuters reported Saturday.

A fresh rocket shelling reported early Sunday by Fatah Army on the two villages, Anadolu agency said.

The negotiations were failed to reach a more permanent agreement to end fighting in Zabadani town near the Lebanese border and Kefraya and al-Foua villages.

The ceasefire between the Syrian army and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah on one hand, and Fatah Army, on the other had been in effect since Wednesday.

Sources on both sides had said the negotiations were aimed at securing a withdrawal of rebel fighters from Zabadani and a withdrawal of citizens from the two villages.

Ahrar al-Sham said it blamed the failure of the talks on the Iranian delegation with which it was negotiating, saying it was trying to effectively exchange one area for another.

"The reason for the failure of the negotiations was the focus of the other side on demographic changes and its lack of concern for the humanitarian conditions of the civilians," Ahrar al-Sham spokesman Ahmed Qara Ali said in a written statement sent to Reuters.

A rebel demand for the release of 40,000 prisoners "on a national level" was also rejected.

The ceasefire was brokered by Iran and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the conflict, the ceasefire was designed to give a chance for negotiations aimed at a more lasting cessation of hostilities in both areas.