Syrian regime gaining upper hand at peace talks in Geneva

The Syrian armed forces, which hold almost twice as much territory as the Syrian opposition forces do, have more bargaining chips at the ongoing intra-Syrians talks in Geneva, Switzerland, analysts said.

 

United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, who has been attempting to broker peace for the country at war since 2011, announced the “official” beginning of the Geneva Intra-Syrian talks on Monday.

 

The Syrian army overran a key town in the northern province of Aleppo on Tuesday, close to breaking a siege on two Shiite towns of Nubul and Zahra, which have been besieged by militant groups for over a year.

 

Backed by the Russian air force and Iran over the past several months, the Syrian army attacked key rebel strongholds across the country.

 

“The Syrian government force is grasping the initiative in the current situation of the battle. With the help of Russian and Iranian allies, they have become the most powerful force in the western part of the country,” said Mazin Bilal, a political analyst in Syria.

 

Read More: Syrian regime gaining upper hand at peace talks in Geneva – Middle East – Jerusalem Post