Syria cease- fire holding

Rebels and Russia, however, accuse each other of violations.

BEIRUT — Syrian opposition groups reported renewed Russian airstrikes in Syria on Sunday, the second day of a provisional truce, but Moscow said the ceasef ire appeared to be holding despite violations by rebel factions.

A Saudi- based opposition umbrella group, the High Negotiations Committee, reported 26 Russian airstrikes on Sunday against rebel factions supposedly covered by the truce. The committee said at least 29 people had been killed and dozens injured in pro- gov- ernment breaches since the truce began Saturday. Russia is allied with the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The committee assailed the alleged attacks and called on the United Nations “to intervene immediately to stop the crimes committed against the Syrian people.”

There was no independent confirmation of the reported attacks.

Russia, which said it postponed air attacks Saturday, the f irst day of the truce, did not give details on its aerial operations Sunday.

It was unclear whether the purported airstrikes targeted zones occupied by Al Nusra Front, the Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, or Islamic State, the Al Qaeda breakaway faction that controls large stretches of territory in Syria and neighboring Iraq.

The U. N.- backed truce excludes Al Nusra Front and Islamic State. Both groups are defined as terrorist organizations by the United Nations. Russia has said it would continue to target terrorist groups in Syria.

The interim cease- f ire is regarded as the most extensive effort to date to halt the f ighting in Syria, which has been battered by withering conflict for almost five years. The war has resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, caused widespread destruction and sent millions f leeing from their homes, contributing to a refugee crisis in Europe.

Russian Lt. Gen. Sergei Kuralenko, who heads Moscow’s cease- fire oversight efforts, said Sunday that the cessation had been “generally observed,” reported Russia’s Tass news agency.