Quick Cessation of Syrian Ceasefire - East Idaho News
Local

Quick Cessation of Syrian Ceasefire

  Published at  | Updated at

GETTY W 073112 SyrianRebels?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1351506024579Scott Peterson/Getty Images(DAMASCUS, Syria) — The temporary ceasefire in Syria brokered by the United Nations and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi was broken before the ink had barely dried on the pact between President Bashar al-Assad’s government and rebel forces.

Both sides had agreed to a four-day armistice that was to have begun last Friday at the beginning of the religious holiday Eid al-Adha.

Within hours, there were reports of violence as each side blamed the other for violating the truce. By Sunday morning, the ceasefire was all but obliterated as government war jets bombarded rebel strongholds on Damascus’ outskirts.

Fighting was also reported at the usual hot spots around Syria as the death toll started mounting again on Sunday.  It’s estimated that well over 30,000 have been killed in the conflict dating back to March 2011.

Brahimi is expected to present new proposals to the U.N. Security Council next month in another attempt to find a way to end the fighting.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION