USA and Russia have agreed on a "cessation of
hostilities" between the Syrian government and the groups fighting it, in
a deal that excludes the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group
and the al-Nusra Front. It will come into effect from February 27 midnight.
The two countries said in a joint statement on Monday that
parties to the five-year-old conflict would indicate their agreement by February
26. The agreement on Monday called on all sides to sign up to the agreement by
midday on February 26 and to stop fighting by midnight. Russian president
Vladimir Putin said: "It was agreed that the cessation of hostilities in
Syria commences at 00:00 (Damascus time) on February 27 on terms and conditions
that are a part of the Russian-American statement."
The decision comes after Sunday’s bombings that killed
140 people in Homs and Damascus. More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed in
the conflict which began in March 2011. Some 11 million others have been forced
from their homes, out of which, four million have fled abroad.
Putin called the
accord a "real step that can stop the bloodshed" in Syria. Russia
will do "whatever is necessary" to ensure that Damascus respects the
cease-fire agreement, Putin said. "We are counting on the United States to
do the same with its allies and the groups that it supports."
Meanwhile, Syria's government has called a parliamentary election for
April 13. The last was in 2012 and is held every four years.
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