Deal reached between govt and FARC rebels

The Colombian government reached a major de-escalation agreement with leftist FARC guerrillas on Sunday, agreeing for the first time to reduce counterinsurgency operations in the decades-long armed conflict, diplomats in Havana said.

The move marks a significant step in stop-start peace talks in the Cuban capital between the two that began in November 2012 but have been hampered in recent months by an uptick in violence.

On Wednesday, FARC, the Spanish acronym of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, said it had agreed to a one-month unilateral cease-fire starting July 20, and on Sunday the government committed to curtailing its efforts against guerrillas for the first time since peace talks began.