Clashes erupt near Damascus despite Syria truce

Dozens of Syrians take part in a small gathering calling for the fall of the regime on December 30, 2016, in the northwestern city of Idlib. PHOTO: AFP

BEIRUT: 

Clashes erupted between Syrian government forces and opposition fighters in an area outside Damascus on Friday, despite a nationwide truce that began at midnight, a monitor said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was not clear who had started the clashes in the Wadi Barada region, adding that government helicopters were firing on the area.