US, Russia and Jordan reach ceasefire deal for SW Syria

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The US, Russia and Jordan have reached a ceasefire deal for southwestern Syria, with the agreement due to enter force at noon Damascus time (0900 GMT) on Sunday.

The truce was announced after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first between the two leaders, at the G20 Summit of major economies in the German city of Hamburg on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) speaks with US President Donald Trump during their bilateral meeting at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany on July 7, 2017. /Reuters Photo

The agreement will cover the regions of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, adding that it would be supervised by Russian military police "in coordination with the Jordanians and Americans."

Russia and the US have backed opposing sides, with Moscow supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Washington aiding some of the rebel groups fighting to topple him.

"I think this is our first indication of the US and Russia being able to work together in Syria, and as a result of that we had a very lengthy discussion regarding other areas in Syria that we can continue to work together on to de-escalate the areas," said US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.