IS could ruin temporary Syrian ceasefire, expert says

  • 13/02/2016
(Reuters)
(Reuters)

An expert on the Middle East believes Islamic State has the power to ruin a temporary Syrian ceasefire next week.

17 major powers have reached a deal in Germany in a bid to get humanitarian aid to besieged areas of the war-torn country.

But Associate Professor in International Relations at the University of Auckland Steven Hoadley says IS isn't included in the arrangement, and that could change everything.

"If there's a ceasefire, and ISIS continues to carry out its activities, maybe trying to regain some of its lost territory, who is going to resist?" professor Hoadley says.

At the same time, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has dealt a blow to any prospect of peace, vowing to regain control of the entire country and warning it could still "take a long time".

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