BEIRUT (AP) — Syria on Thursday welcomed efforts by the United States and Russia to end the country’s civil war, as warplanes pounded rebel targets in an offensive to reclaim territory from the opposition.

The strikes came against the backdrop of a new, joint U.S.-Russia effort to bring the sides in the 26-month conflict to the negotiating table before the end of the month. In the first official Syrian reaction to the initiative, Syria’s Foreign Ministry said it welcomes the step that could lead to a “national dialogue.”