ALEPPO - The UN’s Syria envoy has applauded a "significant drop" in violence through the first 24 hours of a fragile ceasefire but said security concerns meant aid convoys stayed on hold. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday reports reaching his office indicated "a significant drop in violence", in a rare respite in Syria’s devastating conflict. However, the truce did not prevent heavy fighting between regime forces and the jihadist Jund al-Aqsa faction in Hama province of central Syria, the monitoring group said. It calls for the truce to be renewed every 48 hours, and immediate humanitarian aid access, particularly to civilians living under siege. But there is still deep scepticism about whether the truce will last, with the opposition yet to officially sign on.

Source: Viet Nam News September 14, 2016 03:56 UTC