At least 45 killed in Syria after US-Russia agreement

Beirut, Sep 10 (AP) A day of intense airstrikes Saturdayon and around the northern city of Aleppo killed at least 45people, according to opposition activists. The Aleppo Media Center, an activist collective, said 45people were killed Saturday, just hours after the newUS-Russian agreement was reached to try and end the violencein Syria. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said30 people were killed in Aleppo province and another 39 werekilled by airstrikes in neighboring Idlib province. Contrasting casualty figures are common in the aftermathof large attacks in Syria. The United States and Russia announced a deal today thatwould establish a nationwide cease-fire starting on Monday,followed a week later by an new military partnership targetingIslamic State and al-Qaida militants as well as theestablishment of new limits on the forces of Syrian PresidentBashar Assad forces. Previous Syrian cease-fires or limited truces have alsobeen preceded by spikes in violence as both government andrebel forces seek to consolidate positions or gain new groundin the final remaining hours of warfare. State news agency SANA said the Syrian government acceptsthe agreement, adding that hostilities will stop in thenorthern city of Aleppo, the country’s largest, for"humanitarian reasons." It did not say when the violence willstop, adding that the U.S.-Russia agreement "was reached withthe knowledge and approval of the Syrian government." Today’s violence shows that it might be difficult toimplement the U.S.-Russia agreement as both countries enjoylimited influence on the government and insurgent groups tocease the bombardment. A cease-fire reached by the two world powers earlier thisyear and put into effect in late February failed shortlyafterward and was followed by months of violence the killedthousands. Russia is a main backer of Assad’s government while the UShas been supporting rebel groups trying to remove him frompower. Syria’s conflict, now in its sixth year, has continueddespite several rounds of peace talks and internationalattempts to try end the violence. At least a quarter millionpeople have been killed and half the country’s prewarpopulation displaced. Today’s air raids were mostly in the northern provinces ofIdlib and Aleppo. Aleppo has been the center of violence inSyria in recent months where some 2,200 people, including some700 civilians, have been killed since last July according tothe Observatory, which tracks violence in Syria through anetwork of activists on the ground. (AP)UZM