Philippine rebels agree to indefinite cease-fire

Philippine communist rebels announced an indefinite cease-fire Friday in peace talks aimed at ending one of Asia’s longest-running insurgencies.

The Maoist rebels announced their agreement to put down their arms in a joint statement with Philippine government officials at the end of weeklong talks in Norway.

The government announced its own cease-fire earlier.

Some 150,000 people have died in the conflict that began almost half a century ago.

Both sides said they had made important progress in the talks in Oslo in advancing a peace process that has dragged on for decades.

“The joint statement we are signing manifests the historic significance of what we have achieved,” said Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Philippines Communist Party.

Philippines presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza called the statement a “historic and unprecedented event” and gave credit to President Rodrigo Duterte.