US, Russia agree on 72-hour cease-fire in Syria: TASS

MOSCOW

Russia and the U.S. have agreed on a 72-hour cease-fire in Syria’s Mediterranean province of Latakia starting on Saturday, April 30, the head of the Russian center for reconciliation in Syria, Sergey Kuralenko, told reporters on Friday.

Russia’s state-run TASS news agency on Friday quoted Kuralenko as saying: "Russia and the US are introducing a cease-fire regime in the northern part of the Latakia province for 72 hours starting 00:01am on 30 April 2016, upon coordination with the leadership of the Syrian Arab Republic."

Russia's other state-run news agency, Ria Novosti, reported on Friday that a 24-hour cease-fire was also agreed on in Damascus.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said in a statement on Friday that civilian deaths and injuries, after the bombings of marketplaces and hospitals in Syria, revealed a "monstrous disregard for civilian lives by all parties to the conflict," and warned of "military buildups indicating preparations for a lethal escalation".