Syrian conflict: Opposition groups set new ceasefire terms

	A halt in hostilities failed to materialise on	Friday despite diplomatic talks [Alexander Kots/	Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP]

Assad's opponents want ceasefire to be accompanied by lifting of sieges, prisonerreleases and aid access across nation.

A number of Syrian opposition groups have
declared that they agree to the "possibility" of a
temporary truce if the Syrian government and its
allies respect several conditions, including halting
fire.
The groups on Saturday said they would agree
provided there were guarantees that the Syrian
government forces and its allies would respect a
ceasefire, sieges were lifted and aid deliveries
permitted across the country.
The announcement came as fighting continued on
the ground despite a Friday deadline for cessation
of hostilities.
Russian fighter jets are repeatedly striking rebel
targets, particularly in Aleppo, backing
government forces as they push towards Syria's
second city.
The opposition factions "expressed agreement on
the possibility of reaching a temporary truce deal,
to be reached through international mediation", a
statement from the High Negotiations Committee
said.
It said the UN must guarantee "holding Russia
and Iran and sectarian militias ... to a halt to
fighting".
All sides should cease fire simultaneously and the
government should release prisoners, the statement
said.
The UN is struggling to deliver aid to about 4.5
million Syrians who live in hard-to-reach areas,
including nearly 400,000 people in besieged areas.
The fighting in Syria started as an unarmed
uprising against Assad in March 2011, but has
since expanded into a full-on conflict that has
killed more than 260,000 people, according to UN
estimates.
Meanwhile, Russia said UN-led talks planned for
Saturday between major international players on
establishing a ceasefire in Syria had been
postponed, as disagreement between the various
sides continued.
Maria Zakharova, foreign ministry
spokeswoman, told Russian news agencies the
meeting in Geneva had been put back to an
unspecified later date as "consultations" between
key nations continued.
Military and diplomatic officials from Russia and
the US held talks on Friday to try to finalise the
details of a possible ceasefire, as a hoped-for halt
in hostilities on the ground failed to materialise.
That gathering was supposed to pave the way for
a broader meeting after the 17 key international
players involved in negotiations to end the Syrian
conflict agreed on January 12 that a ceasefire
should come into force within a week.
The truce failed to take effect on Friday as
fighting continued in Syria, with Kurdish-led
forces backed by US-led air power seizing a key
town from the Islamic State of the Iraq and the
Levant (ISIL) group.
Russia is currently flying a bombing campaign in
Syria to back up forces loyal to President Bashar
al-Assad, while the US is leading a coalition
against ISIL, which has seized territory in Syria
and Iraq.