A cease-fire between the warring sides in the Syrian town of Zabadani and two Idlib villages has been extended until Sunday, sources on both sides said Friday. The cease-fire between rebels on one hand and the Syrian army and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah on the other began Wednesday. It halted fighting in the town of Zabadani near the Lebanese border and the villages of Kefraya and Foua in the northwest Idlib province. Sources involved in the negotiations say they are focused on agreeing a withdrawal of rebel fighters from Zabadani and the evacuation of civilians from the two Shiite villages in the northwest. "There is no final agreement yet but talks continue," a source on the insurgents' side said. An official close to the Syrian government said negotiations were going slowly. Zabadani has been the focus of a weekslong campaign by the Syrian army and Hezbollah aimed at driving out insurgents who are still holed up inside. The rebels have meanwhile targeted the two Shiite villages in a parallel offensive. The negotiations have been led on the insurgents' side by the Sunni Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham. Iran, which backs Hezbollah and Syrian President Bashar Assad, helped to bring about the cease-fire, as did Turkey, which has supported insurgents fighting against the Damascus regime. The cease-fire began at 6 a.m. Wednesday and was initially agreed to last two days. Issues being discussed included safe passage for wounded fighters who want to leave Zabadani, and the later withdrawal of all fighters, the official close to the Syrian government said. The rebels had submitted a list of names of wounded fighters they want to evacuate initially, the official said.
