Kerry, Lavrov agree Syria truce holding, extend it by 48 hours
The United States and Russia agreed that the Syrian cessation of hostilities that began on September 12 had largely held and should be extended for another 48 hours despite sporadic violence, the US State Department said on September 14.
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The cessation of hostilities, brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on September 9, went into effect on September 12 night.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Kerry and Lavrov had spoken by telephone earlier on September 14 and agreed it was worth extending the truce.
Under the deal, the United States and Russia are aiming for reduced violence over seven consecutive days before they move to the next stage of coordinating military strikes against Nusra Front and Islamic State militants, which are not party to the truce.
"There was agreement that as a whole, despite sporadic reports of violence, the arrangement is holding, and violence is significantly lower in comparison with previous days and weeks," Toner told a briefing.
"As part of the conversation they agreed to extend the cessation for another 48 hours," he said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syrian conflict through contacts on the ground, said no deaths from fighting had been reported in the first 48 hours of the truce.
