MOSCOW — Two Russian news agencies reported late Wednesday that the Russian military had announced a cease-fire agreement to halt the fighting between Syrian government and rebel forces in northwest Syria.

The reports said the cease-fire was negotiated between Russia, which backs the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey, which controls much of Syria’s northwest.

According to the reports from RIA and Interfax, Russian state news agencies, a Russian major general, Viktor Kupchishin, said that the cease-fire had taken effect and that firing from rebel positions had declined.

But Syrian civilians in the area said there had been heavy shelling and bombing from pro-government forces on Wednesday. They said that military operations seemed to have slowed after midnight but that there was still activity from reconnaissance planes.