Syria: US aims to revive initiatives to halt fighting
Syria: US presses Russia in bid to halt fighting
(about 5 hours later)
The United States says it is working on specific initiatives to reduce the bloodshed in Syria and revive a nationwide ceasefire.
The US says it is working on plans to reduce the bloodshed in Syria and revive a nationwide ceasefire.
It says a priority is to halt conflict in Aleppo, where more than 200 people have died in a week of government air strikes and rebel shelling.
It says its "top priority" is to halt conflict in the city of Aleppo, where at least 200 people have died in a week of government raids and rebel shelling.
The US wants Russia to put pressure on the Syrian government to stop what it says is an indiscriminate bombardment.
The US wants Russia to put pressure on the Syrian government to stop what it says is indiscriminate bombardment.
Russia says the air raids on Aleppo are targeting terrorist groups.
Russia says the strikes in Aleppo are targeting terrorists, but confirmed it was discussing a truce there.
US Secretary of State John Kerry dismissed Russian and Syrian government claims that the Aleppo strikes were targeting the Nusra Front - a jihadist force that is not party to a ceasefire.
Negotiations are under way to include Aleppo in a temporary "regime of calm", Lieut Gen Sergei Kuralenko, who heads Russia's ceasefire monitoring centre in Syria, told Russian media.
Mr Kerry is in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the situation with the UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and the foreign ministers of Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
The Russian and Syrian governments have said the Aleppo strikes are targeting the Nusra Front - a jihadist force that is not party to a ceasefire agreed in February.
Mr Kerry has expressed his deep concern about the deteriorating situation in Aleppo, with more government air strikes on Saturday reported to have killed at least four people with many more wounded, mostly in the neighbourhood of Bab al-Nairab.
But the US argues that such attacks are direct violations of the ceasefire, and accused the government of President Bashar al-Assad of targeting civilians.
The US secretary of state blames the government of President Bashar al-Assad for worsening the conflict by predominantly targeting civilians.
On Saturday, more government strikes reportedly killed at least four people in rebel-held parts of Aleppo.
The US argues that such attacks are direct violations of the temporary ceasefire that came into effect two months ago, and must stop immediately.
Mr Kerry is in Geneva to discuss the situation with the UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and the foreign ministers of Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Efforts to secure peace must take place in Aleppo as well as in the areas of Latakia and eastern Ghouta, Mr Kerry said in telephone calls to Mr de Mistura and the Syrian opposition's General Co-ordinator for the High Negotiations Committee, Riyad Hijab.
"The secretary made clear that ending the violence in Aleppo and returning ultimately to a durable, nationwide cessation is a top priority," state department spokesman spokesman John Kirby said.
Work was under way to defuse tensions and the hope was that "tangible progress" would be made soon, State department spokesman John Kirby said.
Mr Kirby also called for an end to "regime obstruction of the delivery of humanitarian relief to all areas in need and to make concrete progress towards a political transition".
Diplomatic pressure was being put on Russia to stop violations by the Assad government, especially its indiscriminate aerial attacks on Aleppo, he said.
The truce between President Assad's forces and rebels in Syria has broken down in recent months, especially in the divided and besieged Aleppo.
He said that Mr Kerry would continue working through the International Syria Support Group to implement a cessation of hostilities nationwide and to stop "regime obstruction of the delivery of humanitarian relief to all areas in need and to make concrete progress towards a political transition".
Large parts of the city - Syria's largest - have been destroyed, leaving civilians without water and electricity for months.
A truce was called in February between President Assad's forces and rebels in Syria but it has broken down in recent months, especially in the divided and besieged Aleppo.
The Syrian army says the truce is being maintained in all of Syria except in Aleppo.
A new round of UN-backed peace talks is set to start on 10 May in Geneva.
A new round of UN-backed peace talks is set to start on 10 May in Geneva.
Large parts of Aleppo have been destroyed and its infrastructure has been severely damaged, leaving civilians without water and electricity for months.
