Syria: Rebel group joins govt to combat ISIS

Syria

In an effort to end the conflict in Syria that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced many from their homes, the Syrian government on Friday signed a deal with one of the rebel groups.

The signing of the deal means more Syrian rebels have joined the fight against the Islamic State.

A representative for the rebel group which signed the deal pledged their commitment to help the government fight extremist groups.

“We oppose the extremist group. We, with weapons in our hands, will fight against the extremist group. Three days ago, we were engaged in a fierce battle with them in a city, which is not far from here. We’re willing to help the government troops to fight against them,” said Mohammed, a representative of the local rebels.

There has been a significant drop in fighting in Syria since a partial ceasefire came into effect in February, though IS and the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front were excluded and are still being targeted.

Russia said it would monitor the new deal to ensure that both sides comply with the ceasefire.

“Russia plays a mediation role, assisting the parties involved in ending the conflict. According to the agreement signed today, each of the parties should comply with the ceasefire deal, which will restrain every party involved,” said Yuri Zraev, Leader of Russia’s truce coordination center in Damascus.

Meanwhile, reports from northern Syria indicates that the current UN brokered ceasefire is being strained with clashes in that part of the country.