Syrian rebels said Wednesday that talks with regime ally Russia on handing over their remaining territory in the southern province of Daraa had failed, as they opposed giving up their heavy arms.

“Negotiations with the Russian enemy in Busra al-Sham have failed, after they insisted on the surrender of heavy weapons,” the rebels’ Central Operations Room in the South said in a tweet.

“This round of negotiations didn’t produce any results... The session ended and no future meetings have been set,” spokesman Ibrahim Jabbawi said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Russia that political dialogue and a ceasefire were priorities for southern Syria where he said a humanitarian catastrophe risked unfolding.

Safadi made the comment after holding talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

AFP