The 2015 Zabadani cease-fire agreement between Syrian Opposition and Syrian Government forces was achieved on September 24, 2015, with UN mediation, following the Battle of Zabadani (2015).
Agreement[]
On 24 September 2015, more than 2 months after the Battle of Zabadani (2015) began, the UN announced that an agreement between the warring parties had finally been reached after repeated mediation efforts. Per the agreement, the remaining entrenched rebels are to withdraw from Syrian government besieged Al-Zabadani and control of the town to the Syrian government while surrendering all weapons, save for light handguns, and withdrawing to the Idlib Province. Conversely, civilians (approximately 10,000 people) still remaining inside the rebel-besieged Shi'ite villages of Al-Fou’aa and Kafraya are to be evacuated. Control of the villages would not be surrendered to the rebels; however, as approximately 4,000 pro-government troops would remain in the villages. The plan was expected to take 6 months to be fully implemented, during which time extended ceasefires are expected to be upheld in each respective area. Evacuation of wounded from both sides was expected to begin as early as 25 September 2015. An additional stipulation denotes the release of 500 rebel captives from Syrian government-held prisons. The agreement would be overseen by the United Nations office in Damascus.[1][2][3]
Implementation timeline[]
On 26 September 2015, the first bus transport evacuating the rebel combatants to Idlib began leaving Al-Zabadani.[4]
SOHR reported on 26 September that a rebel fighter had been killed in a firefight with the NDF near the villages of Al-Fou’aa and Kafraya.[5] The ceasefire was said to still be in effect in spite of a couple of violations on 27 September 2015.[6]
After the implementation of the ceasefire, the besieging Hezbollah and the SAA troops redirected their attention towards the remaining parts of the Qalamoun Mountains still under rebel control, namely a smaller area in the Jaroud Rankous, located in southern Qalamoun, and larger area located in Jaroud Qarah, in northern Qalamoun. The Hezbollah also set itself out to recapture the Lebanese border-district of Arsal, from where the Jabhat Al-Nusra and ISIL have been receiving much of its reinforcement into the Qalamoun Mountains.[7] However, on 10 October, the truce was jeopardized by rebel groups, claiming the truce had been made "irrelevant" following Russia's entry to the Syrian Civil War.[8]
See also[]
- Battle of Zabadani (2012)
- Qalamoun offensive (May–June 2015)
- Geneva II Conference on Syria
- Syrian conflict peace proposals
- International reactions to the Syrian Civil War
References[]
- ↑ "Syria army, rebels reach deal on Zabadani, Idlib villages: source". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Sep-24/316543-hezbollah-syria-army-reach-deal-with-rebels-on-fate-of-zabadani-idlib-towns-sources.ashx. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ↑ Edward. "Sponsored by the Turkish and Iranian and the guarantee of the international envoy, the terms of the agreement about Zabadani and Kafrayya and al-Fou’aa and their surroundings". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. http://www.syriahr.com/en/2015/09/sponsored-by-the-turkish-and-iranian-and-the-guarantee-of-the-international-envoy-the-terms-of-the-agreement-about-zabadani-and-kafrayya-and-al-fouaa-and-their-surroundings. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ↑ News Desk. "Warring Sides in Syria Reach Deal on Al-Zabadani, Kefraya, Al-Fou'aa". Al-Masdar News. http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/warring-sides-in-syria-reach-deal-on-al-zabadani-kefraya-al-fouaa. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ↑ Leith Fadel. "Islamist Rebels Begin Withdrawal from Al-Zabadani: First Transport Buses Arrive". Al-Masdar News. http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/islamist-rebels-begin-withdrawal-from-al-zabadani-first-transport-buses-arrive. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ↑ Edward. "Deaths for the regime forces in the road of Palmyra–Homs and regime’s helicopters target the southern countryside of Idlib". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. http://www.syriahr.com/en/2015/09/deaths-from-the-regime-forces-in-road-of-palmyra-homs-and-regimes-helicopters-target-the-southern-countryside-of-idlib. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ↑ "Ceasefire holds in NW Syria after violation: monitor". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. http://dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2015/Sep-27/316668-ceasefire-holds-in-northwest-syria-after-violation-overnight-monitor.ashx. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ↑ Leith Fadel. "Hezbollah Prepares for the Final Showdown in the Qalamoun Mountains". Al-Masdar News. http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/hezbollah-prepares-for-the-final-showdown-in-the-qalamoun-mountains/. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ↑ http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Oct-10/318377-russian-intervention-renders-zabadani-truce-irrelevant.ashx
Coordinates: 33°43′30″N 36°05′50″E / 33.7250°N 36.0972°E
The original article can be found at 2015 Zabadani cease-fire agreement and the edit history here.