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Plea to Russia on Syria peace talks

Plea to Russia on Syria peace talks

Syrian warplanes pounded a rebel-held town near the Lebanese border, activists said, as opposition leaders in Geneva called on Russia to put pressure on the government to prevent the faltering peace negotiations from collapsing.

A second round of talks that started in Geneva on Monday is mired in acrimony as government and opposition delegates throw accusations back and forth, unable to agree on a common agenda.

The UN said that a meeting between senior US and Russian officials – who are backing the process – with UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi will be held in Geneva today, a day before it was originally planned.

The talks have been accompanied by a sharp rise in violence on the ground in Syria. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 4,959 people have died in Syria in the three-week period since January 22, when the first round of talks began in Switzerland.

The group, which documents the fighting on the ground through a wide network of activists, says the period has seen the highest death toll since the uprising against Bashar Assad started in March 2011. In a statement, it called for suspending the talks in Geneva if they do not produce an immediate cessation of all military operations.

Troops on Wednesday pounded Yabroud – the last rebel stronghold in Syria’s mountainous Qalamoun region. Backed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah fighters, the Syrian army has been on a crushing offensive there since early December.

Activists reported heavy fighting in the area between troops loyal to Assad and rebels trying to overthrow him. The Observatory said warplanes have carried out 10 airstrikes so far on Wednesday.

In Geneva, the opposition urged Russia, a key ally of Assad, to take a more forceful stand with the Syrian government.

“I do hope that the Russians will put enough pressure on the regime delegation to be flexible,” said Anas al-Abdeh, a member of the opposition negotiating team.

Louay Safi, another opposition figure, called on Russia to “respect the Syrian people”.