USA, Russia reach cease-fire deal for Syria

The United States and Russia have announced a new agreement to reduce violence in the Syrian conflict, starting with a “cessation of hostilities” from sunset on Monday.

The plan will see the Syrian government end combat missions in specified areas held by the opposition, while Russia and the US will establish a joint centre to combat jihadist groups, including Islamic State.

The deal will also provide for humanitarian access to besieged areas, such as Aleppo.

The agreement was reached after 10 months of failed attempts to halt the fighting and of suspended efforts to reach a political settlement to the conflict.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov announced the agreement in Geneva after weeks of negotiations that, according to Barack Obama, were marred by “deep mistrust” between the two sides.

Kerry said that the plan would need both the Syrian regime and opposition to “meet the obligations” and that the opposition had indicated its willingness to comply provided the Syrian government “show it is serious”.

Lavrov said that Russia had informed the Syrian government about the agreement and that that Syrian government was “ready to fulfill then”.

Seven days after the start of the cessation of hostilities, Russia and the US will establish a "joint implementation centre" to fight IS and another main jihadist group, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. Lavrov said the centre would allow Russian and US forces to "separate the terrorists from the moderate opposition".

He added that Russian and US air forces would carry out co-ordinated strikes strikes against the two groups, and that in some areas, that excluded action by the Syrian air force.

"We have agreed on the areas where such co-ordinated strikes would be taking place, and in those areas, on neutral agreement shared by the Syrian government as well, only the Russian and US air force will be functional," he said.

However, Lavrov added that "the Syrian air force will be functional in other areas, outside those that we have singled out for Russian-American military co-operation".

Both Lavrov and Kerry insisted that the plan could pave the way for a political transition.

"The plan is more prescriptive and far-reaching than any proposal to date and, if implemented by all sides, could allow political negotiations to take place on Syria's future," Kerry said.

The United Nations envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, hailed the agreement and said the UN would exert all efforts to deliver humanitarian aid.

Fighting has recently escalated between the Syrian army and rebels in eastern Aleppo, where 250,000 people live.

Syrian regime forces on Sunday were reported to have recaptured parts of Aleppo that were lost to rebels last month, placing rebel-held districts in the city's east once again under siege.

De Mistura warned on Friday that food and water shortages made the situation in Aleppo even more serious than previously, and that fuel supplies could run out within days.

UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien told the BBC conditions in Aleppo had become appalling: "Eastern Aleppo is at the apex of horror, where any one of us, if we were there, would find life barely possible, let alone tolerable,” he said.

The US and Russia support opposite sides in the conflict that began in 2011: Washington backs a coalition of rebel groups it describes as moderate, while Moscow is seen as a key ally of President Assad.