DUSHANBE, October 27, 2012, Asia-Plus — Nearly 150 people died on the first day of the truce in Syria on October 26, international media outlets reported.
The UN-brokered ceasefire came into force on Friday but was soon shattered by fighting and car bomb in the country. Shelling and shooting were reported in the capital, Damascus, in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor and in rebel-held areas of northern Aleppo province.
According to Reuters, activists say the Syrian army has heavily shelled several areas of the country despite a ceasefire marking the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights – one of the most prominent groups monitoring Syrian casualties – said eight people had been killed so far on Saturday, and that government warplanes had been seen flying over Aleppo, the BBC reported.
The four-day ceasefire had been negotiated by UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who hoped it would lay the groundwork for a full peace process. But both rebels and the army said they would observe the truce only if the other side held their fire.
A commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Aleppo, which holds parts of the city, said the truce was a failure for Mr. Brahimi. AFP quoted FSA commander Abdel Jabbar al-Okaidi him as saying, “I was on several fronts yesterday and the army did not stop shelling.”
The Syrian army also said it had only responded in defense to attacks by rebels, the BBC reported.
The BBC”s correspondent notes that both sides still believe that force is their best option for winning the conflict – the government because it has the heavier weaponry and support from Russia, and the rebels because they believe they have the backing of the public.
On Friday, a car bomb exploded near a playground in Daf al-Shouk, a residential area in southern Damascus. State TV reported that five people were killed and more than 30 wounded. It blamed the attack on “terrorists.”
Later, a car-bomb attack in the southern city of Deraa killed three soldiers, said the observatory.
According to activists, more than 35,000 people have been killed since the uprising began, while the UN estimates that at least 20,000 have died, the BBC reported.
The UN and Arab League have tried several times to broker a ceasefire, but the truces have fallen apart shortly after coming into force.
