Russia urges Syrian rebels to disown Nusra in new truce offer

Russia has called for a 72-hour "regime of silence" in Eastern Ghouta and Daraya from Tuesday amid deadlocked efforts to turn a cessation of hostilities into a lasting peace in the war-torn country.

"In order to stabilise the situation, the Russian reconciliation centre is calling for a 72-hour regime of silence in Eastern Ghouta and Daraya" from Tuesday, the head of the Russian coordination centre in Syria, Sergei Kuralenko, was quoted as saying by the defence ministry late on Monday.

Kuralenko reiterated Moscow's call for "moderate" rebels to withdraw from areas controlled by the Nusra Front and break ranks with the group, saying Russia would keep targeting the militants.

Citing data from Russian monitors and Syrian intelligence, Kuralenko said Nusra fighters and rebels in Eastern Ghouta and suburbs of Damascus had regrouped and re-armed and were now preparing for an offensive.

"These conclusions and estimates have been confirmed by non-stop fire on Syrian armed forces in Eastern Ghouta and living quarters in Damascus," Kuralenko was quoted as saying.

In the vicinity of Aleppo, Nusra leaders were putting together a major attack force numbering some 6,000 fighters in order to blockade government forces in the city, among other goals, he said.

Rebel groups on Sunday called on ceasefire sponsors to force the regime "to completely and immediately halt their brutal offensive against Daraya and Eastern Ghouta".

Syria's army, backed by Lebanon's Shia militia Hezbollah, on Thursday recaptured the town of Deir al-Assafir and nine nearby villages in the south of Eastern Ghouta, outside Damascus.

The town of Daraya, also near the capital, was one of the first to erupt in demonstrations against the government in 2011. It has been under a strict regime siege since late 2012.

The call from Russia came as Washington on Monday urged Moscow to press Syria to stop bombing opposition forces and civilians in Aleppo and the Damascus suburb.

The US and Russia are co-partners in the so-called Vienna diplomatic process of the International Support Group for Syria, which met last week in the Austrian capital, but made no notable progress.

The 20 world and regional powers taking part in the process have so far failed to turn a fragile cessation of hostilities in Syria, in effect since 27 February, into a durable truce between the government and opposition groups.

Last week, Moscow proposed that Russia and the US launch joint air strikes against Nusra fighters in Syria, but Washington rejected the proposal.