Syria has told international envoy Kofi Annan that its forces would abide by a ceasefire he brokered by Thursday morning, but would respond to attacks by opposition rebels, his spokesman said on Wednesday, dpa reported.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry told Annan in a letter that the government had decided "to cease all military fighting throughout Syrian territory as of 6 am (Damascus time) tomorrow, Thursday, 12 April 2012, while reserving the right to respond proportionately to any attacks carried out by armed terrorist groups against civilians, government forces or public and private property."
Annan would continue to work with the government and the opposition to ensure the implementation of his peace plan, which includes a ceasefire, his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said in a statement released in Geneva.