BEIRUT: The Syrian opposition on Saturday cautiously welcomed a ceasefire deal agreed by Moscow and Washington that could also see the first joint military campaign by the two powers against militants.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the truce, reached in Geneva late Friday, would come into force on Monday, the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
The two powers back opposing sides in the conflict, with Moscow supporting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and Washington backing a coalition of rebels it regards as moderate.
But if Russia is able to persuade Assad to respect the ceasefire for a week, Moscow and Washington will set up a joint coordination unit to bomb agreed "terrorist" targets.
A leading member of the High Negotiations Committee said the opposition umbrella group cautiously welcomed the agreement.
"We welcome the deal if it is going to be enforced," said Bassma Kodmani.
"We are waiting for Russia to persuade the regime that is necessary to commit to this agreement" she added.
The much anticipated -- if tentative -- breakthrough came after marathon talks between Lavrov and Kerry in Geneva, as the pair push for an end to the five-year war that has killed 290,000.
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