the country has faced an apparent intensification of airstrikes in the last 48 hours , a seemingly deliberate attempt by those on the ground to send a message of strength .
us secretary of state john kerry , who helped broker the deal , warned it could be the last chance for peace in a united syria .
just after the ceasefire came into effect at sunset on monday , the syrian army announced a seven - day " freeze " on military operations .
in this photo released on the official facebook page of the syrian presidency , syrian president bashar assad , fifth left , prays at the dawn eid al - adha prayers at the saad ibn muaaz mosque in daraya , a blockaded damascus suburb , syria , monday , sept. 12 , 2016 .
now the world watches with bated breath .
the syrian president bashar assad , fifth left , prays at the dawn eid al - adha prayers at the saad ibn muaaz mosque in daraya , ... media playback is unsupported on your device media caption the bbc 's jeremy bowen drives into west aleppo ahead of the ceasefire a cessation of hostilities has come into effect in syria , although it is unclear how widely it will be observed .
 
the syrian observatory for human ( cnn ) as the sun set in syria monday , another ceasefire aimed at ending the country 's bloody conflict began .
mr kerry , speaking at the state department in washington , said early reports indicated " some reduction in violence " .