1st LD: Syrian army announces "regime of silence" in certain hotspots

The Syrian army announced on Friday that a "regime of silence" state will be observed in hotspots near the capital Damascus and the northwestern province of Latakia after midnight.

"In order to uphold the agreed-upon cessation of hostilities system, a state of regime of silence will be observed as of 1 a.m. Saturday in areas in the Eastern Ghouta area east of Damascus, and the northern countryside of Latakia," the army said in a statement.

The army statement said the this pacification system will continue for 24 hours east of Damascus, and 72 hours north of Latakia.

The aim of it, the army continued, is to cut the road before the armed groups, which are trying to continue the state of tension and instability.

Earlier in the day, Russia and the United States have reportedly agreed to enhance the cessation of hostilities deal in northern Latakia and suburbs of Damascus.

Still, the northern province of Aleppo, which is witnessing an extreme state of violence and constant shelling was not included in the deal.

The aim appears to be the international powers' will to consolidate and salvage the already-shaky truce, or cessation of hostilities, which has went into force in late February, but has largely been threatened in recent weeks with an upsurge in the military showdowns between the army and the rebels, both hold each other responsible for the incessant violence.

The surge of violence also reflects the failure of reaching a common ground among the Syrian delegations who were meeting this week in Geneva to hammer out first steps to end the five-year-old bloody conflict, which left half of the country's 23 million population displaced and harvested over 250,000 souls. Endit