BALADI NEWS
The Syrian regime has agreed to a truce in the war-torn northwestern region of Idlib on condition a Turkish-Russian buffer-zone deal is implemented, state news agency SANA reported Thursday.
The announcement, which follows weeks of heavy bombardment in the region of some three million residents, came as talks resumed in Kazakhstan between rebel backer Turkey and regime allies Russia and Iran.
SANA cited a military source who announced the regime's "approval for a ceasefire in the deescalation zone in Idlib starting from tonight" on condition jihadists and rebels withdraw forces and weaponry from a buffer zone as per the deal between Moscow and Ankara.
The region is supposed to be protected from a massive regime offensive by the Turkish-Russian deal struck in September in the Russian resort of Sochi.
But the deal has faltered and Assad forces, along with Russia, have stepped up their bombardment there since the end of April.
Since April, hundreds of civilians have been killed by Assad-Russian alliance, and more than 500,000 have been displaced towards the Turkish borders.
Source: Daily Mail.