UN endorses Syria ceasefire negotiations

France has called on Russia to stop military action in Syria and respect a fragile ceasefire agreement brokered by Moscow and Turkey to end almost six years of war.

The truce deal, which was welcomed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council, has been repeatedly violated since it began, with warring sides trading the blame.

On Saturday, Syria rebels warned they would abandon the ceasefire if government forces continued to violate it, asking the Russians, who support President Bashar al-Assad, to rein in army and militia attacks in the valley by 8 pm.

French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said: "We resolutely condemn everything Russia could do in Syria that would contribute to a continuation of fighting.

"We hope talks between separate Syrian forces will continue so the ceasefire can hold. We ask the Russians to stop taking part in military operations which are deadly operations."

However he did not specify which actions in particular he was referring to.

Syrian rebel groups have said that they would consider a ceasefire deal brokered by Russia and Turkey "null and void" if government forces and their allies continued to violate it.

Airstrikes and clashes have continued in some areas since the ceasefire officially began on Friday.

A statement signed by a number of rebel groups said: "Continued violations by the regime and bombardment and attempts to attack areas under the control of the revolutionary factions will make the agreement null and void."

Dozens of Islamic State fighters have been killed in attacks by Russian and Turkish warplanes in northern Syria over the past 24 hours, the Turkish armed forces have announced.

Islamic State fighters, along with the Kurdish YPG, are not observing the ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey.

The Turkish military said 12 jihadists were killed in three Russian air strikes in the area of al Bab and south of the town while Turkish air strikes destroyed 17 IS targets and killed 26 militants in al Bab and Daglabash.

The military confirmed one Turkish soldier was killed and five wounded in an Islamic State attack to the south of al Azrak.

The bombs kept falling just hours before a ceasefire between Syria's pro-government forces and the rebel forces came into effect.

Forty people were thought to have died in an airstrike on a school in the outskirts of Damascus.

ITV News Correspondent Martin Geissler reports on the late bloodshed and the hopes that the nationwide truce can finally help bring peace to the war-torn country.

Clashes between rebels and Syrian government forces have been reported within two hours of a nationwide ceasefire taking effect.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said rebels violated the deal backed by Russia and Turkey and had taken over a position in Hama province.

A spokesman for the Jaish al-Nasr rebel group accused government forces of violating the truce by shelling areas in two villages in Idlib province, which borders Hama.

Gunfire was earlier reported in the southern Syrian provinces of Deraa and Quneitra.

Gunfire has been reported shortly after a ceasefire deal took effect at midnight (10pm GMT), Syrian activists have said.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said shooting was heard in the southern Syrian provinces of Deraa and Quneitra.

The Observatory said there were no reports of casualties, adding that in other areas of Syria warring sides appeared to have ceased firing.

• Syrian President Assad 'committed' to new ceasefire

A new ceasefire brokered in Syria by Russia and Turkey has come into effect.

The deal, where Turkey and Russia will act as guarantors, became effective from midnight local time.

Peace talks between President Bashar al-Assad's government and rebel forces in Syria are set to take place next year in Kazakhstan.

Assad was reported by the Kremlin on Thursday to be "committed" to the truce.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is "committed" to observing the freshly-signed ceasefire deal in the country, according to the Kremlin.

Al-Assad signalled his intent to abide by the rules of the deal in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said.

The pair agreed that upcoming peace talks in Kazakhstan over the five-year conflict would be "an important step towards the ultimate resolution of the crisis".

Syria's foreign minister has said there is a "real chance" for political settlement in the war-torn country - hours after a new ceasefire deal was signed.

Walid Al-Moualem gave the clearest sign yet that the five-year conflict in Syria might have an end in sight.

But Al-Moualem, speaking after Thursday's truce was signed, warned that rebel fighters must distance themselves from terrorist networks.

He urged forces opposed to President Bashar al-Assad to put clear distance between themselves and organisations like so-called Islamic State and former Al Qaeda fighters.

"It is the duty of the factions (rebel groups) who have signed it to distance themselves from, and declare that they are not linked to, the Nusra Front or Daesh (Islamic State)," al-Moualem said on state TV.

He added that Syria would participate "with an open mind" in upcoming peace talks in Kazakhstan.