Russia says third de-escalation zone set up in Syria

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Russia's Defense Ministry and Syria's opposition have agreed to create a de-escalation zone in the northern Homs countryside in Syria, said Russian ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov.

Under the agreement, from 12 p.m. local time (0900 GMT) on August 3, detachments from the moderate opposition and government troops completely stopped fire from all types of weapons, he said.

The new de-escalation zone will include 84 settlements populated by more than 147,000 people, the spokesman added.

This is the third such de-escalation zone in Syria.

On May 4, Russia, Turkey and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on creating four de-escalation zones in Syria, aiming to ease tensions for at least six months.

A Syrian man walks down a destroyed street in a rebel-held area in Daraa on July 19, 2017. /AFP Photo

According to the memorandum, the government and opposition forces will halt fighting in four zones, including the northwestern province of Idlib, the central province of Homs, the eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus, and areas in the Daraa and Qunaitera provinces in southern Syria.

So far, only the de-escalation zone in Idlib hasn't been established.

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