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Report: Turkey, Russia agree on Syria cease-fire plan

FILE - In this April 14, 2016, file photo, a Russian military camp is seen at the ancient city of Palmyra in the central city of Homs, Syria. U.S.-Russian talks on their separate fights against the Islamic State group are improving and becoming more frequent, American officials said. In the discussions, Russia has made clear its counterterrorism priority in Syria is retaking the ancient city of Palmyra, officials said. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File) FILE - In this April 14, 2016, file photo, a Russian military camp is seen at the ancient city of Palmyra in the central city of Homs, Syria. U.S.-Russian talks on their separate fights against the Islamic State group are improving and becoming more frequent, American officials said. In the discussions, Russia has made clear its counterterrorism priority in Syria is retaking the ancient city of Palmyra, officials said. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

By Associated Press December 28, 2016 1 min read

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – Turkey and Russia have reached an agreement on a cease-fire plan comprising the whole of Syria, and the two countries will work to ensure that it comes into effect at midnight Wednesday night, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported Wednesday.

The Anadolu Agency, quoting unnamed sources, said the plan would be presented to all sides of the Syria conflict and aims for a cease-fire that would come into force “in all regions” where fighting between pro-government forces and opposition groups is taking place.

Terror organizations would be kept out of the scope of the cease-fire agreement, the agency said, without elaborating on which insurgent groups would be considered terror organizations.

It said a peace process in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana would go ahead under Russia and Turkey’s leadership if the cease-fire holds. Anadolu said the two countries would act as “guarantors” of the peace process.

There was no immediate confirmation from Turkey’s Foreign Ministry.