Syrian army recaptures town in Aleppo province from IS group

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country will keep hitting “terrorist organizations” in Syria even after the truce is implemented.

Although it has committed in principle to the truce, the main Syrian opposition umbrella group is deeply skeptical and has kept its meetings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, open while it seeks clarifications from the USA about the mechanism for the implementation of the agreement. This may quickly derail the deal, as the opposition and its supporters have already said they are concerned the Syrian government and Russian Federation will continue to strike at mainstream rebels under the pretext of hitting Nusra during the cease-fire.

“However, I would like to emphasize once again that the groups of Daesh, al-Nusra Front, and other terrorist organizations recognized as such by the UN Security Council are not included [in the agreement]”.

The “cessation of hostilities” agreement is due to take effect at midnight (5 p.m. ET on Friday).

Earlier this week both the main opposition and rebel group, and the Syrian government, said they conditionally accepted the ceasefire plan.

Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told reporters Friday that Turkey supports the cease-fire agreement in principle but is anxious about the continued operations.

And he vowed to defeat the so-called Islamic State (IS), which he said was “not a caliphate but a crime ring”. The elusive cease-fire deal was reached only after a monthslong Russian air campaign that the USA says strengthened Assad’s hand and allowed his forces to retake territory, altering the balance of power in the Syrian civil war.

The cease-fire meant to start on midnight Friday is aimed at achieving a temporary “cessation of hostilities” that would bring back the Syrian government and its opponents to the negotiating table in Geneva.

Moscow is not discussing any alternative plans for a political settlement in Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has said.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday told state-run Anadolu Agency that Saudi aircraft will arrive “today or tomorrow” at the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey to join the fight against Islamic State in Syria.

The United Nations carried out its first airdrop of humanitarian aid to the Syrian city of Deir al-Zor on Wednesday, delivering 21 tons of relief to civilians besieged by Islamic State.

Less than an hour before the truce was set to begin, the 15-member Security Council unanimously endorsed the agreement, and the United Nations special envoy for Syria announced peace talks would resume on March 7 if the “cessations of hostilities” holds.

Putin stressed that combat actions against Islamic State, the Nusra Front and other groups which the Syrian government regards as terrorists would continue.

Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said there were differences in opinion between Moscow and Damascus but that Russian Federation is one of the few countries still in contact with “the legitimate Syrian leader”.

SANA says the army took the town of Khanaser on Thursday, after three days of heavy battles with the extremist group.

The victory is key for Syria’s military access to the provincial capital, Aleppo city. The Kremlin described the calls as an effort to explain the substance of the U.S.-Russia-brokered ceasefire.