Syrian state media on Wednesday (July 11th) confirmed a deal between the regime and opposition fighters for the latter to hand over their heavy weapons in the southern city of Daraa, AFP reported.

On Friday, an agreement was announced for the wider province of the same name.

But the implementation was set to occur in three stages: first in the east of the province, then opposition-held parts of the provincial capital Daraa, and finally the province's west.

Under the deal for opposition-held areas of Daraa city, opposition fighters are to hand over their heavy and medium-sized weapons, state news agency SANA said.

It would also provide for "fighters who wish to do so to settle their status with the regime" and stay, "and for those who refuse the agreement to leave the city", it said.

Regime forces have now retaken more than 80% of Daraa province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Some western areas of the province remain under opposition control, while the deal does not include a southwestern patch held by "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) affiliate Jaish Khalid ibn al-Walid.