U.S. State Department says Syrian ceasefire still "largely holding"

The cease-fire in Syria is still "largely holding" after it was started two weeks ago, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Friday.

"The cessation of hostilities has produced a dramatic reduction in violence in Syria and permitted humanitarian access to begin in some besieged areas," said Kirby in a statement.

However, the spokesman also noted that Syrian government forces have reportedly conducted air strikes which hit civilians, a clear violation of the cessation of hostilities.

News reports on Friday said that air strikes by government forces killed at least five people in a rebel-held neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo.

The alleged air strikes came following reports from the state news agency SANA that at least 19 people were killed and many more wounded last Sunday and Monday by rocket attacks from the rebels in Aleppo.

The oppositional Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has confirmed the report, saying the so-called Thuwar al-Sham group, or the Levant Revolutionaries, was responsible for shelling the Sheikh Maqsud district with 38 improvised rockets since Sunday.

Kirby urged "attacks against civilians and the denial of humanitarian aid needs to stop immediately," and called on Russia to use its influence with the Syrian government to encourage it to abide by the cessation of hostilities.

The United States and Russia agreed on a plan for a cease-fire in Syria that began on Feb. 27.

The cessation of hostilities was largely envisaged in Munich on Feb. 12 during a meeting of the International Syrian Support Group (ISSG), which is co-chaired by the United States and Russia. The group is composed of the Arab League, the European Union, the United Nations, and 17 countries including China. Endi