Govt, rebels reach 48-hour cease-fire in two hot spots

Negotiations continue over allowing rebels to leave, food and aid to enter besieged towns

A 48-hour truce has been reached between the Syrian army and armed militants in two hot spots in northwest Syria and near the Lebanese border, a monitor group and the Lebanese Al-Manar TV reported early on Wednesday.

The deal was reached after the Syrian army and Hezbollah advanced into the central part of Zabadani, the last rebel bastion on the Syrian-Lebanese border, said Al-Manar TV, a mouthpiece of the Shiite Lebanese Hezbollah.