Syrian rebel groups have confirmed that they will attend peace talks with the Government in Asthana, Kazakhstan next week. A leader of rebel group, Jaysh al-Islam, Mohammed Alloush, said, he would head the rebel delegation. <br/><br/>After the meeting of rebels in Turkey yesterday, Alloush said they are going to Astana for talks. The truce excludes the jihadist groups Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, known as al-Nusra Front. Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, set the new diplomatic effort in motion after the rebels suffered a major defeat last month by losing control of districts of eastern Aleppo they had held for nearly four years. <br/><br/>The talks beginning on January 23 are the latest bid to put an end to the brutal war raging in Syria since March 2011.