SYRIA CRISIS: Landmark ceasefire begins after almost five years of bloody civil war

A LANDMARK but fragile temporary ceasefire has come into force in Syria after almost five years of civil war.

The truce, agreed by 97 fighting groups including the Syrian government and Russian airforce, came into effect at midnight local time.

But the United Nations quickly warned that the fragile ceasefire will be breached and that a long road to peace lay ahead.

UN official Staffan de Mistura said: “This will remain a complicated, painstaking process".

But he added that “nothing is impossible, especially at this moment”.

The US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, slammed the Russians for continuing to ramp up military attacks just hours before the ceasefire.

She said: “Let us be real. It is going to be extremely challenging to make this work, especially at the outset.

“If this collapses we lose the most tangible opportunity to relieve the suffering.”

Large swathes of Syria will be excluded from the ceasefire after Russia insisted its airforce would be able to continue strikes not only against Islamic State but also the Syrian arm of al-Qaeda, al-Nusra Front.

The truce marks the most concerted unilateral effort to end the bloodshed since the war began five years ago and is hoped to pave the way to UN-sponsored peace talks, on 7 March in Geneva.

A White House spokesman said: “We do anticipate we’re going to encounter some speed bumps along the way. There will be violations.”

Conflict in Syria

A spokesman for UN chief Ban Ki-moon: “The only thing that is required is for people to take their finger off the trigger. That is what is being asked.”

Barack Obama added: “We are certain that there will continue to be fighting. The world will be watching”.