Brahimi starts talks with Syrian opposition delegation

International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi has started talks with a Syrian opposition delegation at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, a UN spokeswoman said on Friday.

Brahimi earlier met a Syrian government delegation.

He had been due to bring both sides together on Friday to launch talks aimed at ending nearly three years of conflict in Syria, but the opposition demanded that the government first endorse an international accord calling for a transitional governing body to be established.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Writing by Dominic Evans; editing by Mariam Karouny)