According to Russian diplomatic sources who spoke with Al-Watan newspaper, the Russian-Turkish agreement will be implemented in three stages:
- The first stage will go into effect by mid October to create a 15 to 20 km weapons-free zone along the contact line between militant groups and government forces. All radical groups, including ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra/Al Qaeda will have to leave this zone, which will be patrolled jointly by Russian and Turkish military units.
- In the second stage the heavy weapons will be collected from the region until November 10 and the militants will leave civilian areas.
- In the third stage, lasting to the end of this year, state institutions will resume activities in Idlib.
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