Advertisement

Syrian army announces halt on fighting in Eastern Ghouta

By Daniel Uria
A cadet waves the Academy's flag on top of a building during a training drill to infiltrate and capture a make-believe Hezbollah building, in Jaysh al-Islam Military Academy, in an undisclosed location, rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, outskirts of Damascus, Syria, on January 9, 2017. The Syrian army announced a "cessation of hostilities" in parts of Eastarn Ghouta effective at noon on Saturday after Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed to precise borders for the save zones.
 Photo by Mohammed Badra/EPA
A cadet waves the Academy's flag on top of a building during a training drill to infiltrate and capture a make-believe Hezbollah building, in Jaysh al-Islam Military Academy, in an undisclosed location, rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, outskirts of Damascus, Syria, on January 9, 2017. The Syrian army announced a "cessation of hostilities" in parts of Eastarn Ghouta effective at noon on Saturday after Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed to precise borders for the save zones. Photo by Mohammed Badra/EPA

July 22 (UPI) -- The Syrian army announced an end to fighting in parts of Eastern Ghouta on Saturday.

The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported that General Command released a statement announcing "cessation of hostilities" for a number of areas in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, would begin Saturday at noon.

Advertisement

The army also warned that any breach of the ceasefire would elicit "an appropriate response."

Russia had signed a deal with Syrian rebels, VOA News reported, outlining how the safe zones would operate during peace talks in Cairo earlier in the day.

The agreement includes "routes to supply humanitarian aid to the population and for free movement of residents" and a promise that humanitarian convoys would be sent to the area within days.

Iran, Turkey and Russia met early this year to discuss safe zones in the Eastern Ghouta area and recently came to an agreement on precise borders and a plan to deploy forces to monitor the de-escalation of fighting.

Latest Headlines