Syrian men carrying babies make their way through the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held Salihin neighbourhood of the northern city of Aleppo, on September 11, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua)
DAMASCUS, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Syrian civilians trapped in the long-running civil war have had a respite from constant shelling and gunfire after a U.S.-Russia brokered truce went into effect late Monday, coinciding with the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival.
The Syrian military announced a seven-day nationwide ceasefire that started at 7:00 pm local time (1600 GMT) Monday and will last till Sept. 19, local media reported.
The week-long truce, brokered by the United States and Russia, demands all warring sides in Syria stop attacks and airstrikes, and allow access to besieged areas, including the northern city of Aleppo.
It also includes improving humanitarian aid access and a joint military operation against banned terrorist groups.
While announcing its decision to observe the nationwide ceasefire, the Syrian military said it reserves the right to respond to any breach by the rebels.
And in a show of confidence, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited Daraya, a recently recaptured town in the suburbs of Damascus, on Monday, hours before the truce took effect.
Assad joined local residents in making prayers for the Eid al-Adha holiday, or the Feast of Sacrifice, in Daraya, a rebel stronghold for nearly four years.
Last month, hundreds of rebel fighters left Daraya under a deal they concluded with the Syrian army.
Information from different sources monitoring the ceasefire confirmed that the truce largely held in the past several hours, but those living in Syria gave different answers when asked about the prospects of the ongoing truce.
In Aleppo, a city bitterly contested between the warring sides since 2012, people living in areas frequently targeted by the rebels say they don't trust the rebels, as previous attempts to establish peace had all failed.
They say each time a truce was declared, the rebels took advantage of the situation to regroup and bring in more weapons.
Ibrahim Khalil, a 43-year-old father of two, told Xinhua he doesn't believe in the truce.
"We are against the truce, because whenever there is a truce, the rebels start recollecting themselves and amassing weapons and manpower again and they shell Aleppo again. Every time there is a truce, the people are the ones who pay the price," he said, trying to end the conversation as he feared another mortar would hit soon.
Meanwhile, the better off in the city are hoping the truce can succeed.
Muhammad Burri, a Syrian merchant, said he believes in the truce and has a firm belief it will work.
"I say I hope the truce could be implemented and I believe it will be successful because the truce is the only way out of this violence. I believe the truce will hold and will curb the bloodshed," he told Xinhua.
The protracted civil war in Syria started in March 2011 and has killed over 250,000 and forced 4.8 million to leave the country, according to UN statistics.
Chaos of war and sectarian rift have led to a surge of terrorism in the country in the past few years, posing a grave challenge to regional security and the whole world.
The ongoing truce is also seen as part of the efforts by the United States and Russia, respectively supporting the rebels and the government, to jointly tackle growing terrorist forces in the war-torn country.
The Pentagon confirmed Monday a U.S. airstrike on Aug. 30 that targeted Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani, the longtime Islamic State (IS) spokesman, was successful.
Calling Al-Adnani IS'chief propagandist, recruiter and architect of external operations, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement that the strike near Al Bab, Syria, was one of a series of strikes against IS leaders.
"As we continue to gather momentum in our counter-ISIL campaign, we will continue to target ISIL leaders, relentlessly pursue its external plotters," said Cook, using another acronym of the extremist group.
Born in the countryside of the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, al-Adnani was also among the first group of foreign fighters against U.S. invasion in Iraq in 2003.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told a press conference on Monday that "there's some reduction in violence" in Syria after the truce.
"There will undoubtedly be reports of a violation here or there, I am confident, but that's the nature of the beginning of a ceasefire almost always," he added.
He also reiterated his call to all parties in Syria to observe the cessation of hostilities brokered by the United States and Russia.
"I urge all the parties to support it, because it may be the last chance that one has to save a united Syria," he said.
