(VOVworld) – The Syrian army announced a seven-day nationwide ceasefire on Monday, minutes after the US and Russia reached a landmark agreement on a nationwide ceasefire in Syria.

Destruction caused by airstrike in the southern province of Dara’a on Monday (Photo: TTXVN)

The truce started at 7:00 pm local time on Monday and will last till September 19^th, the Syrian army said in a statement. However, according to the New York Times, less than an hour into the truce, the ceasefire was already violated. In the southern province of Dara’a, a rebel faction said in a statement that it had killed four government soldiers.

Doubts have been expressed by many entangled in the conflict that the cease-fire, timed to coincide with the start of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, will be respected. Under the terms, if violence is significantly reduced for seven days, the US and Russia will collaborate on new airstrikes against jihadist militants in Syria, and the Syrian Air Force will be barred from flying over insurgent-held areas.