Syria declares 72-hour ceasefire during Eid

Damascus : The Syrian army said Wednesday it was observing a 72-hour ceasefire across the country for the holidays marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The announcement did not say if the truce extends to jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) group or Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front, but a security source said they were apparently excluded.

As fighting continued on the ground, especially in second city Aleppo, some rebel groups said they would respect the truce although they doubted the seriousness of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The Kremlin said later that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Barack Obama agreed in a telephone call to "intensify" military cooperation in the war-torn country.

"The two parties have confirmed their desire to intensify coordination between the Russian and American militaries in Syria," it said without elaborating.

The statement came after US Secretary of State John Kerry hailed the ceasefire and said he was working with Russia and others to try to transform it into a lasting truce.

Syria's conflict began in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government demonstrations and has evolved into a complex multi-front war.

The IS emerged from the chaos, seizing large parts of Syria and Iraq, committing widespread atrocities, and organising and inspiring attacks across the Middle East and in Western cities.

Washington has backed rebel forces in Syria and Moscow is supporting Assad, but the rise of IS has seen efforts focus on defeating the jihadists.