The United States and Russia have agreed on a “freeze” in fighting along two major fronts in Syria, but not in war-ravaged Aleppo. The announcement came after a request from the Americans and the Russians, who met in Geneva to calm down the situation in Damascus and Latakia.
In a statement carried on state television, Syria’s armed forces said the freeze would begin on Saturday. It would last for 24 hours in Damascus and the nearby rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta, and for 72 hours in the coastal province of Latakia, the heartland of President Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect.
However, there was no mention of Aleppo, where a week of fighting has killed more than 200 civilians. Russia is a key backer of Assad’s regime, while the US has supported various opposition factions in the country.