Syria fighting largely halts as cessation begins
Fighting appeared to stop across most areas of western Syria on February 27 after a landmark "cessation of hostilities" came into effect under a US-Russian plan which warring sides in the five-year conflict have accepted.
The temporary halt in fighting marked the first time world powers have been able to negotiate a pause in Syria's civil war and the United Nations hopes it can lead to a new round of talks to end the conflict.
A monitoring group and the United Nations reported only isolated fire in western Syria after the temporary ceasefire began at midnight on February 27.
"Let's pray that this works because frankly this is the best opportunity we can imagine the Syrian people has had for the last five years in order to see something better and hopefully something related to peace. Facts will tell," said UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura.
Damascus and its ally Russia, as well as a range of insurgent groups fighting against them, have said they will commit to the plan.
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The United Nations unanimously demanded late on Friday that all parties to the conflict comply with the terms of the plan and end a war that has killed more than 250,000 people and driven 11 million from their homes. Mistura said he intends to resume talks on March 7, provided the halt in fighting largely holds.
The United States warned this week that it might be hard to hold Syria together as a country if the conflict does not stop.
Fighting raged across much of western Syria on February 26 right up until the agreement came into effect, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Shortly after midnight, there was calm in many parts of the country, it said.
