Syrian army declares temporary, nationwide truce

Syria’s military has declared a unilateral, three-day ceasefire for the entire country. The announcement comes at the start of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

State media say the ceasefire began on Wednesday and is to last until midnight Friday.

If it holds, this would be the first truce since a US-Russia-brokered “cessation of hostilities” came into effect on February 27. That agreement, which excluded militant groups such as the Islamic State, sharply reduced violence across the country for weeks. It eventually collapsed after a government offensive in the north. It’s unclear if this truce excludes groups the government considers terrorists.

There was no immediate reaction from Syria’s opposition groups battling President Bashar Assad’s government.

Assad reportedly paid a rare visit to the city of Homs, where he took part in holiday prayers, and visited troops on the front line in Ghouta, according to the Syrian state news agency.