Although the ceasefire in Syria is fragile, Damascus residents have voiced hope that the U.S.-Russia-brokered truce will lead to peace talks.
It is almost one week since the truce went into effect. U.N. special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said the ceasefire has “greatly reduced” violence, despite sporadic clashes in some cities.
A total of 73 civilians were killed across the country in the five days since the ceasefire took effect, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Most were in areas controlled by ISIL, which is not included in the truce. The monitoring group called it a “huge drop,” comparing it with the 63 civilians killed on the Friday before the cessation of hostilities.