Syria opposition's chief negotiator to Geneva talks resigns, urged the "rebel" factions in Aleppo to prepare to defend the city

Muhammad Alloush, the chief negotiator of the opposition's Higher Negotiation Committees (HNC), resigned Sunday from his post, according to the Al-Arabiyah TV.

In a phone call with the Saudi-funded TV, Alloush said he will no longer be the lead negotiator at the Geneva peace talks apparently over frustration from the lack of progress in the talks.

He said the HNC hasn't received any invitation to the upcoming round of talks.

• Alloush, meanwhile, urged the rebel factions in Aleppo to prepare to defend the city against what he said the imminent military offensive by the Syran army and it's allied forces on the rebel-held part of the city.

He also said the major powers have prevented the delivery of weapons to the Syrian rebels.

• Earlier this year, Syria's Political and Armed Opposition Groups Coalition named Mohammed Alloush, a militant chief supported by Saudi Arabia, as its chief negotiator for peace talks in Geneva.

Alloush is a relative of the late leader of the rebels Islam Army, Zahran Alloush, who was killed by an airstrike near Damascus.

• Zahran Alloush and his Jaysh al-Islam group have been responsible for the daily mortar shelling of civilians in the capital.

 [Xinhua - globaltimes.cn -china.org.cn]
30/5/16