Discussions about joining peace talks frozen due to “breaches” in the ceasefire by the Syrian governmen

Syrian rebel groups have announced they are freezing discussions about joining peace talks sponsored by Russia because of “breaches” in a four-day-old cease-fire by the Syrian government. In a statement, the rebel groups said that any territorial advances by the army and Iran-backed militias would end the effort to restart peace talks as well as a fragile cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey that went into effect on December 30. “The regime and its allies have continued firing and committed many and large violations…threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands of people,” said the statement signed by about a dozen mainly moderate rebel groups operating under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army.