DAMASCUS: Ceasefire negotiations, which have been taking place to achieve a 15-day truce east of Syria's capital Damascus, have failed, a monitor group reported on Thursday.
The Syrian government forces and an array of rebel groups in the Ghouta countryside of Damascus have failed to agree on a ceasefire that could have been a sign of pacification in the capital and its surrounding areas, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
The London-based monitor group said the reasons behind the faltering negotiations were not immediately clear, Xinhua news agency reported.
It said that the ceasefire, if agreed upon, will last for 15 days as a trial period, which could be extended if the initial ceasefire succeeded.