- Title: Doctor, rebels react to U.S.-Russian ceasefire deal In southwest Syria
- Date: 9th July 2017
- Summary: DERAA CITY, SYRIA (JULY 9, 2017) (REUTERS) FIELDS AND DERAA CITY SEEN IN BACKGROUND DAMAGES CAUSED TO SYRIA'S NASSIB BORDER CROSSING TO JORDAN DAMAGED BUILDINGS ALONG STREET DAMAGED BUILDING WATER TANK WITH GRAFFITI WRITTEN ON IT MAN WALKING DOWN STREET WITH DAMAGED BUILDINGS CHILDREN WALKING NEAR DAMAGED BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DERAA FIELD HOSPITAL DOCTOR, ZIAD MAHAMID, SAYING: "When we heard the announcement of the tripartite deal between the Americans, Russians and Jordanians, which orders the withdrawal from the southwest of Houran or the southern (Syria) area in general, honestly we hoped this fulfils the goals which we called for. The battle 'Death over Humiliation' that erupted aims to liberate our land from our enemy, Assad." REBEL FIGHTERS IN THE STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) REBEL GROUP COMMANDER, ABU SHEHAB, SAYING: "For us as commanders, fighters and citizens, we are against the ceasefire. This ceasefire is deceiving, every time the regime announces a ceasefire, they start digging tunnels (AUDIO OF GUN FIRE), they build sand barriers, they target us with air strikes. What kind of a ceasefire is this? We are against this ceasefire. We have lost young men and children, we have lost homes. We lost Houran, we lost Syria." DAMAGED BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISSIDENT COLONEL AND REBEL GROUP COMMANDER, ABU ODAI ALMADANI, SAYING: "We don't want a partial solution to the Syrian problem. We want a comprehensive solution for our families who were forcibly displaced from their country, and whose homes, villages and infrastructure were destroyed. There are martyrs, injured, disabled people. These solutions are partial and do not fulfil the aspirations of the revolutionary Syrian people, who took to the streets for an awakening, and to change the tyrannic rule." VARIOUS OF STREETS AND DAMAGED BUILDINGS IN THE CITY
- Embargoed: 23rd July 2017 17:28
- Keywords: ceasefire in Syria Deraa reactions U.S.-Russian deal southwest Syria
- Location: DERAA CITY, SYRIA
- City: DERAA CITY, SYRIA
- Country: Syria
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0016OZWC3R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A U.S.-Russian brokered ceasefire for southwest Syria was holding hours after it took effect on Sunday (July 9), a monitor and two rebel officials said, in the latest international attempt at peace-making in the six-year war.
The reactions to truce deal were mixed among residents of southwestern border city of Deraa, where government forces and their allies are trying to crush remaining pockets of rebellion.
Doctor Ziad Mahamid expressed hope the ceasefire would help end a battle dubbed "Death over Humiliation" between President Bashar al-Assad's army and rebel groups seeking to obstruct the government army attempts to capture a strategic border crossing with Jordan.
Commanders of rebel groups are more sceptical, saying the ceasefire was deceiving and called it a partial solution for Syria.
The United States, Russia and Jordan reached a ceasefire and "de-escalation agreement" this week with the aim of paving the way for a broader, more robust truce. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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