Russia says truce extended for 72 hours in Aleppo, Latakia

[May 07, 2016]    BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia's defense ministry said a "regime of calm" truce in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo and parts of Latakia province had been extended "for 72 hours beginning at 1 a.m. on Saturday" (1700 ET on Friday), Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

A fragile local truce had been in place for Aleppo city since early on Wednesday. In northern Latakia province, it first took effect on April 29, after a wider truce deal in western Syria brokered by Washington and Moscow broke down.

(Reporting by John Davison and Ahmed Tolba in Cairo; Editing by Sandra Maler)

[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.