Syrian rebels to attend Astana talks, rebel officials say

Syrian rebel groups have decided to attend peace talks backed by Russia and Turkey in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana to press for the implementation of a widely violated cease-fire, rebel officials said on Jan. 16, Reuters has reported. 

Rebel groups took the decision at meetings that are underway in Ankara, and are now working to form a delegation that will be different to one sent to peace talks in Geneva last year by a Saudi-backed opposition group. 

"The factions will go and the first thing they will discuss will be the matter of the cease-fire and the violations by the regime," Reuters quoted an official in a Free Syrian Army rebel group, who declined to be identified because the rebel groups had yet to appoint a spokesman, as saying on Jan. 16. 

A second official, Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group, said that the majority of the groups decided to attend. "Discussions will be on the cease-fire - the humanitarian issues - aid deliveries, release of detainees," he said.  

"All the rebel groups are going. Everyone has agreed," Mohammad Alloush, a leading figure in the Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) rebel group told AFP.  

Ahmad al-Othman from the Sultan Murad faction also told AFP that "the rebel groups have decided to go to the talks."

On Jan. 3, a dozen Syrian rebel factions had suspended talks on new peace negotiations in Astana, accusing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime of violating the cease-fire with attacks near Damascus.

"As these violations are continuing, the rebel factions announce... the freezing of all discussion linked to the Astana negotiations," the Syrian opposition groups said, according to AFP.

Rebel groups' decision to attend Astana talks came two days...