Syrian Rebels Kill 23 Soldiers, Reject Peace Talks

Rebel Council: Arab League Efforts 'Failed'

The state of Syria’s month-long ceasefire is once again in serious doubt today, with rebels taking credit for a massive attack in the town of Rastan which killed at least 23 soldiers.

The rebels claimed that the town of Rastan was “destroyed” in the fighting. Rebels also assassinated a top tribal elder in Deir Ezzor, along with his son. The two were killed after reportedly being warned to stop “cooperating” with the government.

The ceasefire was supposed to be setting the stage for peace talks, but that too seems to be unlikely at this point, with the rebel Syrian National Council announcing today that it has decided not to take part in any of the talks, blaming the Arab League for not backing them more thoroughly.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov warned that there didn’t seem to be much momentum on either side for negotiations, and that it was unlikely that there would ever be direct talks.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.