BREAKING: Russia reaches major de-escalation agreement with northern Homs militants

BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:20 P.M.) – The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has just announced a new ceasefire agreement that Russian mediators in Syria reached with rebels in the countryside of northern Homs Governorate.

The new de-escalation zone agreement is large, including up to the 87 rebel-held towns and villages in a besieged region known as the Rastan pocket.

Russian security forces (mainly military police) are to set up three crossing points in the area as well as a number of checkpoints to observe the ceasefire.