Ceasefire brokered by US and Russia goes into effect in southern Syria

BEIRUT (AP) — An open-ended cease-fire in southern Syria brokered by the United States and Russia has come into effect.

The cease-fire, announced after a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hamburg last week, is the first initiative by the Trump administration in collaboration with Russia to bring some stability to war-torn Syria.

No cease-fire has lasted long in the six-year-old Syrian war.

U.S.-backed rebels, Syrian government forces, and Islamic State militants are all fighting for control of southern Syria.

The latest truce, which began at noon (0900 GMT) Saturday, is intended to allay concerns of neighboring Israel and Jordan about Iranian-backed and government-allied forces at their borders. The truce does not include the IS group.

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