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| A Syrian girl chases pigeons in Marjeh Square, Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016. |
BEIRUT
(AP) -- A cease-fire brought relative quiet to parts of Syria for the
first time in years on Saturday, offering civilians rare respite from
Russian and Syrian government airstrikes despite some limited breaches
of the agreement brokered by Washington and Moscow.
Fighting
continued against the Islamic State group, which launched a surprise
offensive on a northern town and carried out a suicide truck bombing in
central Syria. The extremist group, along with al-Qaida's branch in
Syria, the Nusra Front, is not party to the cease-fire, which went into
effect at midnight.
The cease-fire marks the
most ambitious international attempt yet to reduce violence in the
devastating conflict, which has killed more than 250,000 people, wounded
a million and generated one of the worst refugee crises since World War
II.
There were numerous violations of the
cease-fire Saturday, but the level of violence was markedly down
nationwide, giving hope to war-weary civilians across the country.
"Today
we woke up and it was calm, stable. And even in the street ... it was
complete calm, said Loris Atwah, a 65-year-old resident of Damascus.
"We pray to God that the cease-fire will continue," said Ragheb Bashir Ali, 22.
In
southern Syria, the situation was "calm" Saturday, according to
opposition activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh, who is based in the southern city
of Daraa. Quiet also prevailed in large parts of the central province
of Homs, according to Mohammed al-Sibai, who is based in the province.
"The
situation yesterday was very bad and fighting was intense," al-Masalmeh
said. "Then it was like a football match. People were excited and once
the referee blew his whistle all the noise stopped."
The
opposition's Syrian Civil Defense, a group of first responders known as
the "White Helmets," posted on Twitter: "In comparison with past 4
years, today very quiet and #SyriaCeasefire holding in the main. Long
may it last."
Syria's state-run news agency
said militants fired several shells on residential areas in the capital
in the first breach of the cease-fire around midday Saturday. SANA says
the shells were fired by "terrorist groups" entrenched in Jobar and
Douma, two opposition-held Damascus suburbs.
It
later said one person was killed and another one was wounded by sniper
fire on the outskirts of the government-held Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood
in Aleppo city.
Rebel groups said they have
registered numerous violations by government forces across the country
that could threaten the agreement.
Lt. Col.
Fares al-Bayoush, commander of the 1,300-strong Fursan al-Haq Brigade, a
U.S.-backed rebel faction, told The Associated Press that his group and
others affiliated with the mainstream Free Syrian Army are so far
abiding by the truce.
"If they continue with
these violations we will be forced to retaliate accordingly," he said by
phone from southern Turkey. He added, however, that the cease-fire has
sharply reduced government attacks across northern Syria, where his
group is based.
The U.N. envoy for Syria,
Staffan de Mistura said some incidents were to be expected, but that the
situation after the first night and day of the cease-fire was "quite
reassuring."
A top military official in Moscow said Russia has grounded its warplanes in Syria to help secure the cease-fire.
Lt.-Gen.
Sergei Rudskoi said that while Russia will continue airstrikes against
IS and the Nusra Front, Moscow is keeping its aircraft on the ground for
now "to avoid any possible mistakes."
He said
the Russian military had established hotlines to exchange information
with the U.S. military in order to help monitor the cease-fire and
quickly respond to any conflict situations.
The
U.S. has provided the Russian Defense Ministry with similar maps and
its own list of opposition units, which have agreed to respect the
cease-fire.
Rudskoi said that according to the
U.S.-Russian agreements, a rebel unit that accidentally comes under
attack should contact Russian or U.S. representatives, who would quickly
resolve the matter.
A coordination center at
the Hemeimeem air base in Syria's coastal province of Latakia, where
Russian warplanes are based, has 61 officers who negotiate with groups
willing to join the cease-fire and coordinate the deliveries of
humanitarian aid. Rudskoi said 17 opposition units have contacted the
Russian military to adhere to the truce.
IS
meanwhile launched two suicide attacks near the central town of
Salamiyeh, one on an army checkpoint that killed two and wounded four.
The second car bomb was destroyed by Syrian troops before reaching a
military post, state TV said.
The
IS-affiliated Aamaq news agency said IS claimed responsibility for the
blasts in the area, where most residents belong to the Ismaili branch of
Shiite Islam. The Sunni extremist group views Shiites as heretics.
In
the northern province of Raqqa, IS fighters attacked the border town of
Tal Abyad and the nearby village of Suluk, which were captured months
ago by Kurdish fighters, according to a Syrian rebel official.
Talal
Sillo, a spokesman for the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic
Forces, said the fighting began after midnight Friday and was still
ongoing. He and the main Kurdish militia in Syria, the YPG, said some of
the IS fighters came from Turkey. The YPG statement said its fighters
had killed the attackers after hours of fighting.
The
Aamaq news agency reported that IS fighters launched a "surprise
attack" on several areas in northern Raqqa province, where Tal Abyad is
located. The report did not provide further details.
The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group that monitors
the conflict, said at least 70
militants and 20 Kurdish fighters were
killed in the clashes. The report could not be independently confirmed.
The
Observatory said intense fighting is ongoing near the northern town of
Khanaser between pro-government forces and IS. Battles have continued
for five days in the strategic area near the highway that links Aleppo
with central and western Syria.
State TV said Syrian warplanes attacked oil tanker trucks belonging to IS in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour.
