U.N. envoy Brahimi meets Assad and urges unilateral ceasefires

International mediator Lakhdar Brahim met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Sunday as he sought to press both sides in Syria's conflict for a truce during a Muslim holiday this week.

During the meeting, Brahimi urged two sides in Syria conflict to declare unilateral ceasefires.

“I appeal to everyone to take a unilateral decision to cease hostilities on the occasion of Eid al-Adha (starting Friday) and that this truce be respected from today or tomorrow,” Brahimi told reporters.

The U.N.-Arab League envoy held talks with Assad in Damascus.

Brahimi, the joint U.N.-Arab League special envoy for the Syria crisis, has been criss-crossing the region with the aim of convincing Assad's main backers and his foes to support the idea of a truce during the holiday, which starts at dusk on Thursday.

He held talks on Saturday with Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem, which the ministry described as “constructive and serious.”

Syria has so far given a guarded response to Brahimi's ceasefire proposal, suggesting it wants guarantees that rebels would reciprocate any move by Assad's forces.