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Russia reports Turkish shelling of Syrian Kurds

The main players in Syria’s war traded accusations on Sunday over violations of the first nationwide ceasefire in the five-year conflict, but the truce remained largely intact on its second day.

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The Syrian war has resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, caused widespread destruction and sent millions fleeing from their homes, contributing to a refugee crisis in Europe.

Mr Al Meslet said the HNC had not received any maps outlining which areas were included in the ceasefire or documents explaining the monitoring mechanism.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Saturday in his weekly address the Islamic State group’s territory in Syria is shrinking.

The Russian military said it had recorded nine violations of the ceasefire, but said that on the whole it was being implemented.

Some pundits, however, question the viability of the temporary ceasefire in altering the political landscape toward a manageable transition in a post-Assad Syria according to a report by the New York Times.

Russian state-run media, meanwhile, reported that six attacks on Damascus originated from areas held by the Syrian opposition fighters.

He said there would be a “plan B” if it became clear that the Syrian government and its allies were not serious about the truce, but gave no details.

Syria’s ceasefire has entered its second day though several violations of the truce have been reported.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2268 endorsing the Russia-US agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Syria on Friday, shortly before the ceasefire came into force.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the airstrikes hit the villages of Daret Azzeh and Qobtan al-Jabal in Aleppo province.

United Nations diplomats said they hope the truce will provide a window for humanitarian aid to reach Syrian civilians who have been trapped for months in areas that are besieged by Syrian government forces.

“The activities of the armed groups were supported by artillery fire from Turkish territory”, the chief of the coordination centre, Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko, said in televised remarks.

Russia’s Defense Ministry offered no comment on the strikes, but it had warned Saturday that it reserved the right under the terms of the truce to continue hitting the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, terrorist groups that are battling the Assad regime.

In the city of Aleppo, people went about their usual routines on Sunday, the start of week in Syria, as most have grown accustomed to regular bombardments.

The Observatory said on Sunday that more than 70 IS fighters and 20 YPG fighters had been killed after IS launched an attack that threatened Kurdish control of the town.

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The truce is the culmination of new diplomatic efforts that reflect a battlefield dramatically changed since Russian Federation joined the war in September with air strikes to prop up Assad.

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