Russia and US agree on 72-hour cease fire in areas of Syria

Aleppo not under new cease fire deal

Russia and the US have agreed to implement a temporary cease fire in the the suburbs of Damascus and areas around the city of Latakia, according to Russian news agency RIA. Surprisingly the agreement does not include the city of Aleppo, which was bombed 2 days ago by Syrian government air fighters killing tens of civilians, including children and doctors. Aleppo has been a main target of pro Assad forces as it is still controlled by rebel groups. Ongoing fighting has effectively rendered the initial Geneva cease fire agreement useless, which is why the two powers meet to renew the deal. The cease fire will last for the next 72 hours, while it bans the use of any type of military operations or military hardware, according to a statement released. The UN has voiced its grave concern about the ‘monstrous contempt’ for the lives of unarmed civilians by the Assad government forces. International media report both powers will guarantee the cease fire be upheld by the waring factions. The new cease fire will take effect from