RIYADH: A fragile cessation of hostilities that took effect early on Saturday is facing “complete nullification” because of Syrian regime’s attacks that violated the agreement put together by the US and Russia, an opposition official was quoted as saying by Asharq Al-Awsat.

Countries supporting the Syria peace process were scheduled to meet in Geneva on Monday as France demanded answers on attacks in breach of the cessation of hostilities.

“We have received indications that attacks, including by air, have been continuing against zones controlled by the moderate opposition,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“All this needs to be verified. France has therefore demanded that the task force charged with overseeing the cessation of hostilities meet without delay.”

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, a spokesman for the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), said the cessation of hostilities was broken by Syria’s government 15 times within the first day, and that there were further violations by Russia and Hezbollah, both allies of President Bashar Assad.

Asaad Al-Zoubi, head of HNC delegation to peace talks, said: “We are not facing a violation of the truce… we are facing a complete nullification,” he said, and “we have alternatives to protect our people” if the international community could not.

“I believe the international community has totally failed in all its experiments, and must take real, practical measures toward the regime,” Zoubi said.

He added there were “no indicators” that the ground was being prepared for peace talks, which the UN has said it plans to reconvene on March 7.

Talks in Geneva in early February collapsed before they got off the ground, with rebels saying they could not negotiate while they were being bombed.

Since the cessation of hostilities came into effect government and Russian warplanes have struck areas in several western provinces of Syria, according to monitors. However, a Syrian military source denied on Saturday that the army had committed any violations.

Despite the several violations by Syrian government forces, the Syria’s opposition expressed on Sunday its commitment to the cessation of hostilities aiming to keep people safe and bring the brutal conflict to an end.