Kazakhstan's foreign ministry said Tuesday, March 6, that the top diplomats of the allies Moscow and Tehran and rebel-backer Turkey would hold a March 16 meeting in the capital Astana "without observers or Syrian sides."

The statement also said that the United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura would be invited to the meeting, AFP reported.

The announcement comes as Syrian forces intensify bombardment of the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus.

Talks on Syria in Astana, which have usually involved regime and opposition delegations, as well as the three guarantors, began in January 2017.

They run parallel to U.N.-led negotiations in Geneva and were credited with bringing about a reduction in hostilities between government and rebel forces after the agreement on the safe zones was reached.

More than 340,000 people have been killed since Syria's war started in 2011. It has since spiraled into a complex conflict involving world powers.

Reporter’s code: 50101