You're reading: Reuters: Russia says Syria de-escalation deal takes effect at midnight

Reuters: Russia says Syria de-escalation deal takes effect at midnight

Published May 6, 2017 at 5:50 pm

A Syrian street seller pulls a cart of vegetables past a destroyed building in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of Damascus on May 6. Fighting subsided in Syria after a deal signed by government backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey to create four safe zones began to take effect, a monitor said.

Photo by AFP

A de-escalation agreement in Syria takes effect at midnight but Russia’s air force will continue strikes against Islamic State elsewhere in the country, Russian news agencies cited the Defense Ministry as saying on Friday.

The largest of the four de-escalation zones is in northern Syria and includes Idlib province and adjoining districts of Latakia, Aleppo and Hama with a total population of over 1 million, the ministry said.