Warring groups reach deal for 48-hour ceasefire in key Syrian towns

A 48-hour ceasefire has been agreed between fighting groups in the rebel-held Syrian town of Zabadani and two nearby villages in Idlib province. The deal between Syrian fighters, the army and its Lebanese militant Hezbollah ally was reached after the UN envoy for Syria said last month that government airstrikes had caused widespread death and destruction in the town and surrounding areas. He reported that civilians were trapped both in Zabadani and in the Shia Muslim villages of al Foua and Kefraya.

(There is a) determination to empty Zabadani of civilians and fighters and displace them to another areas.

Rebel group Ahrar al Sham

Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shia group with a powerful fighting force, has been an important ally of President Bashar al Assad over the country’s four years of war. Its military role inside Syria has been growing steadily since the start of the conflict in 2011 with the government describing Hezbollah as its main ally in the fight against insurgents aiming to overthrown President Assad.

Middle East Syria Hezbollah