Syria’s Ceasefire Is Over After A Bloody Week

Newsbeat

The Assad government declared an end to a week-long ceasefire in Syria on Monday, accusing rebel groups for violating the deal. The agreement, brokered by a temporary partnership between the White House and the Kremlin, had been on the rocks virtually since it began, with both the Syrian military and militants looking to oust President Bashar al-Assad continuing hostilities. Russia placed blame for the ceasefire's failure at the feet of President Barack Obama, suggesting on Sunday that the accidental bombing of a Syrian military position by American fighter jets would lead to the dissolution of the agreement. Syrian state media pushed a similar logic on Monday. The Syrian Arab News Agency, a state-run broadcaster, quoted a statement from the Syrian military on Monday saying "the criminal acts of the terrorist groups during the truce period form clear evidence on the extent of the affiliation of these groups to international and regional sides which have no interest in the cessation of hostilities or putting an end to the suffering of the Syrian people." The American strike near the Deir el-Zour or Deir Ezzor airport reportedly killed 62 Syrian soldiers. Russia blasted the American military for the strike, which the Department of Defense called an accident. The US military said in a statement that the air force "had earlier informed Russian counterparts of the upcoming strike," but that the Russian military did not provide the information about the Syrian military position until the airstrikes had already begun.