Western-backed Syrian opposition group the Popular Front of Change and Liberation announced at the weekend that it will attend a proposed peace conference in Moscow later this month.

The announcement by former deputy prime minister Qadri Jamil’s group, which called the talks “a glimmer of hope,” followed a statement the previous day by leading opposition politician Mouaz al-Khatib that he will not go to Moscow.

Mr Khatib, the former president of the western-baked Syrian National Coalition, said that he had turned down the invitation because there could be no talks with the government “without releasing detainees, especially women and children.

“The circumstances that we believe are necessary to make the meeting successful are not available,” he said.

Other opposition groups have also said that they would not participate in the Moscow talks, making it unclear whether anything will come of the Russian talks proposal.

Bashar al-Assad’s government has already confirmed that it is prepared to participate.