Syria rebels suspend talks with government over violations

New Zealand's U.N. Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, left, and Russia's ambassador to the U.N., Vitaly Churkin, raise their hands as they join other members of the Security Council at the United Nations headquarters on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, passing a resolution supporting efforts by Russia and Turkey to end violence in Syria and jumpstart peace negotiations. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) (The Associated Press)

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In this photo released by official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani, right, talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al- Moallem, left, in their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. An unidentified interpreter sits at center. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP) (The Associated Press)

This undated handout photo released by the Russian Defense Ministry claims to show Russian Military engineers driving in their APC to operate in Aleppo, Syria. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

BEIRUT – A group of Syrian rebel groups say they are suspending talks about planned peace negotiations to be held later this month, because of what they describe as ongoing government violations of a four-day old cease-fire deal.

The cease-fire deal brokered by Russia and Turkey is to be followed by talks between mainstream rebel factions and government representatives in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

But in a statement posted late Monday, 10 rebel factions said they are suspending any talks related to the Astana negotiations or any discussions related to the cease-fire "until it is fully implemented." They include the powerful Army of Islam group which operates mainly outside the Syrian capital.

Opposition factions are angered in particular about an ongoing military offensive in the water-rich Barada Valley northwest of Damascus.