Syria ceasefire takes effect following UNSC endorsement

Speaking after a meeting at the State Department with his National Security Council, Obama said that he has directed his team to advance the fight against extremists and that other US allies “have agreed to increase their contributions”.

It is not the first time that the government’s supply route to Aleppo has been cut.

Hours into a ceasefire brokered by Russian Federation and the United States, an Isis vehicle bomb killed at least two people in Syria, and rebels claim government forces dropped barrel bombs near Damascus.

Fighting raged across much of western Syria right up until the “cessation of hostilities” came into effect but there was calm in many parts of the country shortly after midnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Fighting between the YPG and Islamic State continued in Raqqa province, the Observatory said. But the World Food Program said later it faced “technical difficulties” and indicated the drop may have been off target. Also unresolved are how breaches in the truce would be dealt with.

The truce agreement remains shaky at best and major questions over enforcement are still unresolved.

Nusra Front on Friday called for an escalation in fighting, urging insurgents to intensify their attacks in a call that added to the dangers facing the fragile agreement.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that around 400,000 people had died and 12 million people been displaced since the war started.

Damascus has agreed to the deal, as has the main opposition alliance, although it is only ready to commit for two weeks given its deep reservations.

The source said the mortar shells came from the neighborhoods of Jubar and Duma, and called on Syrians living in those rebel-held neighborhoods to help stop the shelling.

“We are certain that there will continue to be fighting”, Obama said, noting that IS, the Nusra Front and other militant groups are not part of the negotiations and the truce.

Both the Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad and Syrian opposition body the High Negotiating Council have said they will conditionally abide by the ceasefire, including the identification of territories and groups that would be included in the ceasefire.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The United Nations special envoy for Syria was expected Friday to announce a date for the resumption of peace talks, as a United States-Russia negotiated “cessation of hostilities” was set to take effect at midnight local time.

The opposition fears the government will continue targeting rebels on the pretext they are jihadists.