UN Syria envoy to meet with Terrorist leaders in Turkey

The United Nation’s special envoy to Syria is set to meet in Turkey with leaders of foreign-backed militants from the Syrian city of Aleppo in an attempt to negotiate a possible freeze in fighting in the war-torn city.

Staffan de Mistura “will travel very soon to Gaziantep to discuss his plan with key rebel groups from Aleppo,” AFP quoted his spokeswoman, Juliette Touma, as saying on Sunday.

She, however, did not elaborate on the exact timeframe for the talks.

De Mistura announced his plan to press for what he referred to as a “freeze” in fighting in late October, following unsuccessful efforts to negotiate a resolution to the foreign-backed militancy in Syria.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has previously expressed his willingness to discuss the plan and the major city of Aleppo, which has been divided into militant and government-held territories since July 2012, has been cited as a potential opening stage.

De Mistura has been pressing for local ceasefire in parts of Syria to lay the groundwork for peace talks.

More than 200,000 people have been killed so far in the conflict in Syria, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein.

Western powers and some of their regional allies – especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey – are reportedly supporting the militants.