The leaders of Russia and Turkey struck a deal in hopes of preventing more chaos in northwestern Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed Monday to establish a demilitarized zone in the Idlib province.
That province is the last major stronghold for rebels in Syria. Earlier this month, it looked like the Syrian government was ready to launch an offensive to re-take control, and that prompted international concerns about the millions of civilians who'd likely get caught in the cross fire.
The demilitarized zone will separate Syrian government forces, which are backed by Russia, and rebel groups, which are backed by Turkey. Heavy weapons, tanks, guns, and more will be banned from the area.
The buffer zone will be nine to 13 miles wide, and monitored by Russian and Turkish troops. For comparison, the DMZ separating North and South Korea is 2.5 miles wide. The zone should be established by October 15.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
