Six-month truce agreed in three Syria towns

Pro-government and rebel forces in Syria agreed to a six-month truce on Thursday for the rebel-held town of Zabadani and two Shia towns in the northwest, a monitor and a member of one of the rebel groups has said.

Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the ceasefires were agreed under the sponsorship of the UN.

In a video released on Thursday, Jaish al-Fatah official Abdullah al-Mohaisany, described as a general judge, said Iranian negotiators representing the Syrian government had been involved in talks.

"We had to save our besieged sisters in Zabadani," said Mohaisany, "but we forced the Iranians to accept our truce conditions after their initial rejection."

Mohaisany said several principles that had been agreed during the discussions would be implemented within 48 hours, including how to get residents safely out of the three communities.

"The regime will not be allowed to drop barrel bombs" in certain areas, Mohsaisany said. Also Fuaa, where he said government planes have previously dropped munitions, will no longer receive weapons and Jaish al-Fatah fighters will be allowed to leave with their weapons from Zabadani.

Mohaisany appeared to criticise the Syrian opposition abroad saying "those who took the truce decision are Syrians who are engaged in fighting, not negotiating from hotel rooms".

Pro-government forces launched an offensive to try to recapture Zabadani on the border with Lebanon in July. This prompted a rebel alliance to besiege the Idlib province villages of Fuaa and Kafraya, whose residents are Shia.

"The agreement for a six-month truce was reached between rebel fighters including Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham and pro-regime forces and their allies of the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement," Abdel Rahman said.

Short truces agreed previously between the warring parties were often broken.

A Syrian source close to the talks told AFP that after a ceasefire began last Sunday, the accord will see the evacuation of some 10,000 civilians from besieged Fuaa and Kafraya on Saturday and Sunday.

They will be driven out in Red Cross vehicles to government-controlled areas. In exchange, some 500 rebels will withdraw from Zabadani and head for Idlib province.

Earlier this week, a diplomatic source reportedly said that Hezbollah would stop fighting in Syria once fighting for Zabadani was over.