No major violence reported as Syria ceasefire begins

A deadline for a United Nations-brokered ceasefire passed today without reports of major violence, opposition activists said, hours after Syria promised to observe a halt in fighting.

Under a peace plan by international envoy Kofi Annan, a truce was set for 6am local time (4am Irish time), to be followed by negotiations between President Bashar Assad's regime and the Syrian opposition on a political transition.