Syrian rebels deny report of ceasefire near damascus

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Syrian Rebels Deny Report of Ceasefire Near Damascus

Syrian rebels have denied reports of a ceasefire agreement near Damascus, despite claims by government officials that a deal had been reached to reduce violence in the area.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported on Tuesday that a ceasefire had been agreed upon by government forces and rebels in the eastern Ghouta region, which is located near the capital city of Damascus.

However, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the main rebel group operating in the area, denied the report, saying that there had been no agreement to cease hostilities.

"We have not agreed to any ceasefire with the regime," said FSA spokesperson, Captain Naji Mustafa. "We will continue to defend our people and our territory against the regime's aggression."

The Syrian government has been accused of launching a series of attacks on rebel-held areas in eastern Ghouta in recent weeks, leading to the deaths of dozens of civilians and the displacement of thousands more.

The ceasefire report comes as international efforts to broker a peace deal in Syria continue to falter. The United Nations has been pushing for a ceasefire to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid to besieged areas, but the government has refused to agree to a deal unless the rebels lay down their arms.

The conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011, and has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and the displacement of millions more.