U.S., Russia announce terms for Syria ceasefire to start Saturday

Rebel fighters inspect a piece of a rocket that landed in an area that connects the northern countryside of Deraa and Quneitra countryside, Syria February 22, 2016. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir

WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States and Russia announced plans for a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria that would take effect on Saturday but exclude groups such as Islamic State and al Qaeda's Nusra Front, a loophole Syrian rebels immediately highlighted as a problem.

Monday's agreement, described by a U.N. spokesman as "a first step towards a more durable ceasefire," is the fruit of intensive diplomacy between Washington and Moscow, which back opposing sides in the 5-year-old civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people.