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Syria: Newly Adopted Ceasefire Appears to Be Holding

HeadlineDec 30, 2016

In Syria, a ceasefire appears to be holding, after the Russian, Iranian and Turkish-brokered truce came into effect at midnight. There were reports of fighting in the early morning hours, before guns and mortars fell silent. Russian President Vladimir Putin touted the agreement as a major turning point in the nearly 6-year-old civil war.

President Vladimir Putin: “Three documents have been signed. The first document is between the Syrian government and the armed opposition on a ceasefire on the territory of Syrian Arab Republic. The second document is a complex of measures to control the ceasefire. And the third document is a statement of readiness to start peace talks on Syrian reconciliation.”

The U.S. did not participate in crafting the agreement. It’s still not clear how many of the dozens of Syrian opposition groups agreed to the deal. The ceasefire does not include ISIS or the organization formerly known as the al-Nusra Front. Turkey’s military said Russian and Turkish warplanes bombed ISIS positions near al-Bab on Friday, killing 38 fighters.

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