Syria: War on terror shouldn't be affected by ceasefire

Damascus, Feb 24: The recently declared cessation of hostilities must not affect the war on terror, Syrian Minister of National Reconciliation Ali Haidar said.

The minister on Tuesday hailed the government acceptance to observe a cessation of hostilities as agreed upon by the US and Russia, Xinhua reported.

He, however, said that government acceptance includes details that should not be overlooked.

"There are details for the government acceptance, mainly not to exclude the war on terror from any international effort, to have a clear roadmap about the areas where terrorists are located," minister said.

He added that the Islamic State (IS) and the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front were not the only terrorist groups in Syria.

"Here I also say that terrorism is not only confined to Daesh and al-Nusra, but all of the other groups, which are still holding arms in the face of the Syrian army," he said.

Syria's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday announced that the Syrian government consents to observe a cessation of hostilities as agreed upon by the US and Russia.

The ministry said the military campaign against the IS and Nusra Front will continue in accordance to the US-Russian agreement.

It, however, warned that the Syrian army has the right to respond to any violation by the opposition forces against the people or the military forces.

A day earlier, Russia and the United States agreed to enforce a cessation of hostilities starting from February 27.

IANS