The US and Russia have agreed on a draft plan outlining a cessation of hostilities in Syria to begin on February 27, according to media reports. Islamic State (IS, former ISIS/ISIL) and the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front are excluded from the plan.

The reports come from two unnamed diplomatic sources cited by Reuters.

The sources confirmed an earlier report by Al Jazeera, which said the document has yet to be signed by all the parties to the Syrian conflict – with an obvious exception of IS and Al-Nusra, as they are on the UN Security Council’s list of terrorist organizations.

The draft document calls on all the parties concerned to sign up by midday on February 27 and to cease hostilities by midnight the next day, according to Al Jazeera.

Riad Hijab, a coordinator for the Supreme Negotiations Committee – a group of Syrian opposition forces backed by Turkey and Saudi Arabia – also confirmed that a provisional agreement has been reached. He added that the deal would be "according to international guarantees.”

The announcement comes just a day after multiple blasts rocked the Syrian cities of Damascus and Homs, claiming the lives of more than 114 people and wounding hundreds.

Taken from Russia Today