Guns fall silent as delicate Syria truce takes effect

A Red Crescent convoy carrying humanitarian aid is seen in Kafr Batna, in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area, on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on February 23, 2016

Guns mostly fell silent in Syria and Russian air raids stopped on Saturday, as a cessation of hostilities appeared to hold for its first day, described by the United Nations as the best hope for peace in five years of civil war. 
Under the US-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. 
Russia, which says it intends to continue strikes against areas held by militants that are not covered by the truce, said it would suspend all flights over Syria for the first day to ensure no wrong targets were hit by mistake. 
Rebels reported what they described as occasional government violations, and one commander warned that unchecked, the breaches could lead to the agreement's collapse. A Syrian military source denied the Syrian army was violating the truce agreement. 
State media described rocket attacks near Damascus and several deadly attacks by Daesh. But overall the level of violence was far reduced. 
"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," UN 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. 
The 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 weak spots in a fragile deal 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 Daesh and the Nusra Front, Al Qaeda's branch in Syria. Daesh claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb in Hama province. Nusra has called for redoubled attacks. 
Moscow and Damascus say they will continue to fight those groups, and other rebels say they fear this may be used to justify attacks against them. 
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. 
Like several other rebel figures contacted by Reuters, Fares Bayoush, head of the Fursan Al Haqq rebel group which fights under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), said front lines were far quieter. But he added that violations were taking place and if continued could lead to the "collapse of the agreement". 
"There are areas where the bombardment has stopped but there are areas where there are violations by the regime such as Kafr Zeita in Hama, via targeting with artillery, and likewise in Morek in northern Hama countryside." 

• MENA