Minor violations reported as crucial cease-fire holds

It's the second attempt this year to try to reduce violence that has seen more than 250,000 killed

The cease-fire in Syria appeared to be holding on Tuesday despite sporadic and minor violations, with observers saying most of the country was calm amid the latest attempt by the United States and Russia to bring some quiet in the country's devastating civil war, now in its sixth year.

The deal, hammered out by US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov last week in Geneva, officially came into effect at sunset on Monday. The Syrian army announced at the time that it would abide by the cease-fire until midnight on Sunday, while maintaining its right to defend itself against any violations.