Truce Halts Most Fighting In Syria

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Fighting appeared largely to stop across most areas of western and northern Syria on Saturday after a cessation of hostilities came into effect, which the United Nations called the best hope for peace since the civil war began five years ago.

Under the U.S.-Russian accord accepted by President Bashar al-Assad’s government and many of his enemies, fighting should cease so aid can reach civilians and talks can open to end a war that has killed more than 250,000 people and made 11 million homeless.

The truce is the culmination of new diplomatic efforts that reflect a battlefield dramatically changed since Russia joined the war in September with air strikes to prop up Assad. Moscow’s intervention effectively destroyed the hope his enemies have maintained for five years — encouraged by Arab and Western states — to topple him by force.

The fragile agreement is the first of its kind to be attempted in four years and, if it holds, would be the most successful truce of the war so far.

But there are many weak spots in the agreement, which has not been directly signed by the Syrian warring parties and is less binding than a formal ceasefire. Importantly, it does not cover powerful jihadist groups such as Islamic State and the Nusra Front, al Qaeda’s branch in Syria.

“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,” U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said at a midnight news conference in Geneva.

He said he expected occasional breaches of the agreement but called on the parties to show restraint and curb escalation.

Several insurgents in the western and northern part of the country said early on Saturday that it was mainly quiet so far.

In early reports of violence, a Syrian rebel group in the northwest said three of its fighters had been killed while repelling an attack from government ground forces a few hours after the plan came into effect. Its spokesman called it a breach of the agreement; the Syrian military could not be reached immediately for comment.

Syria’s state media said at least two people were killed and several wounded when a car bomb exploded at the entrance of Salamiya, a town east of Hama city and a frontline between government forces and Islamic State group. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which monitors the conflict said it was carried out by Islamic State.

Damascus and Moscow say they will respect the agreement but continue to fight the Nusra Front and Islamic State. Other rebels seen as moderates by the West say they fear this will be used to justify attacks on them.

Russia’s defense ministry said it had suspended air strikes in a “green zone” — defined as those parts of Syria held by groups that have accepted the cessation.