(Zaman Al Wasl)- A senior rebel commander warned political parties of participating in planned Astana 13 conference in August, saying it is "a new Russian trick."
Col. Mustafa al-Bakkour, commander in Jaysh al-Izza told Zaman al-Wasl that the Russian-backed offensive on northwestern Syria has signaled the end of Astana’s peace talks.
Russia seeks to restore Astana talks in an attempt to regain its lost prestige, according to al-Bakkour.
"We have learned our lessons over the past years that the forces of Assad and Russia have no commitment to any agreements, not through Astana nor Sochi. We will meet them with steadfast and qualitative operations to disrupt their militias and make them feel defeated and will not give up until we achieve the goals of our revolution, " al-Bakkour said.
Although Turkey and Russia have agreed to stop acts of aggression and turn Idlib and parts of Hama into a de-escalation zone, the Syrian regime has consistently violated the cease-fire, since April, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.
More than 650 civilians have been killed in deadly campaign, monitoring groups and activists say.
Rebels have embarrassed Russia due to their stubborn and steadiness in northern Hama, pointing out that Russia will seek in any way to pressure Turkey to impose a temporary cease-fire as a way to save face. It is likely that the next stage will witness a greater role for the Western powers after reports that the factions had reactivated their operations in Badia and Daraa.
Jaish al-Izza is one of key armed factions that inflicted heavy defeats on regime forces in northern Hama.
Al-Bakkour stressed that Russia's modern weapons and sophisticated aircrafts and missiles are now used only on civilian homes and neighborhoods in revenge for the successive defeats during the recent battles.
On the balance of power between the military factions operating in northern Syria and between regime forces and allied militias, Bakkour said, "If we look at the strengths of both parties in terms of equipment and gear, we find that the balance is tilted in favor of the Russians and the regime. However, if we look at the justice of the case, faith in it, and the desire to fight and sacrifice in order to achieve the goal, the rebels outperform in these aspects all militias and mercenaries fighting under the banner of Russians and Assad.”
The simplest example of this, according to al-Bakkour, is the steadfastness of the heroic fighters on the fronts of Latakia, Tal Malah and Jabin villages in Hama’s northern countryside, where Russians and Assad forces used their latest weapons, aircraft and missiles and could not advance a single inch.
The Astana 12 meeting ended last April with the failure of Turkey, Iran and Russia to agree on the formation of the constitutional committee, followed by a fierce military campaign by Assad forces and Russian militias on Hama and Idlib, in an attempt to resolve the issue in favor of the Assad forces, which it failed to achieve.
Syria's war has killed more than 560,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-regime protests. (Zaman Al Wasl)
Zaman Al Wasl
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