India, Sept. 18 -- Syria will strike several security and military deals with Israel by the end of the year, with a special focus on an agreement to halt Tel Aviv's strikes in southern Syria.

If the deals are reached, they would be a major milestone after the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

"There is progress in the talks with Israel," a ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to brief the media. He added that several agreements are expected to be signed "by the end of the year."

According to the official, the agreements in question would primarily be security deals.

"Primarily, these would be security and military agreements," he said, adding that there would be a focus on "an agree...