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Syria conflict: Army declares 72-hour nationwide truce Syria conflict: Army declares 72-hour nationwide truce
(about 3 hours later)
The Syrian military has unilaterally declared a three-day truce covering the whole country, state media report.The Syrian military has unilaterally declared a three-day truce covering the whole country, state media report.
A statement by the general command said the "regime of calm" began at 01:00 on Wednesday (22:00 GMT on Tuesday) and would last until midnight on Friday.A statement by the general command said the "regime of calm" began at 01:00 on Wednesday (22:00 GMT on Tuesday) and would last until midnight on Friday.
The announcement coincides with the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr. The period covers the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr.
Earlier, President Bashar al-Assad made a rare public appearance outside the capital, Damascus, attending Eid prayers in the devastated city of Homs.Earlier, President Bashar al-Assad made a rare public appearance outside the capital, Damascus, attending Eid prayers in the devastated city of Homs.
More than 250,000 people have been killed since an uprising against Mr Assad erupted five years ago. Large parts of Homs were once controlled by rebel forces, but for the past two years they have been confined to one besieged western suburb.
Eleven million others have been forced from their homes as government forces and rebels battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from Islamic State (IS). There was no indication in the military statement that the 72-hour "regime of calm" announced on Wednesday was agreed with any of the government's opponents.
It also did not specify whether the truce would result in a pause to military action against so-called Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria.
The rival jihadist groups were excluded from a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" brokered by the US and Russia in late February, which collapsed after several weeks with both sides accusing each other of repeated violations.
Violence was also reported on the ground in Syria on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the rebel group Jaysh al-Islam told the Associated Press that it was battling government forces in the rural eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus.
Government troops, pro-government militiamen and fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement were pressing on with an offensive on the village of Mayda, he said.
A rescue worker in the divided northern city of Aleppo also said barrel bombs dropped by government aircraft had struck the rebel-held Hraitan area.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, meanwhile said two children had been killed by missiles fired by rebel groups at the pro-government, predominantly Shia village of Zahraa, north-west of Aleppo.
IS also said it had carried out a suicide bombing at a bakery in the north-eastern city of Hassakeh on Tuesday evening that killed 16 people.
The blast in the predominantly Kurdish provincial capital targeted residents who were buying food before breaking their fasts on the last day of the holy month of Ramadan and celebrating Eid al-Fitr.
Forty people were also wounded in the attack, 15 of them critically, according to the Syrian Observatory.
More than 250,000 people have been killed since an uprising against Mr Assad erupted five years ago. Eleven million others have been forced from their homes.