The Syrian army said Wednesday (July 6th) it was observing a 72-hour ceasefire across the country coinciding with the three-day festival marking Eid al-Fitr, AFP reported.

In a statement carried by official media, the army announced a "regime of silence" across the country for 72 hours from 1 a.m. July 6th until midnight July 8th.

The statement did not specify whether the ceasefire extended to military action against extremist groups such as the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) or al-Nusra Front (ANF).

There was no immediate indication whether opposition forces would abide by the new truce.

Previous attempts to implement ceasefires in Syria have repeatedly failed.

Despite the ceasefire announcement, Aleppo's eastern areas came under fire Wednesday morning, according to residents and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In the eastern al-Mashad district, a civilian was killed and several wounded when artillery fire fell near a mosque hosting Eid prayers, the Observatory said.

"Shells have been falling on the neighbourhood since early this morning," said resident Ahmad Nassif.

The truce had been a "matter of discussion" within the 22-nation International Syria Support Group (ISSG), US Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday, adding that he was working with Russia, which co-chairs the ISSG with the US, and others to transform it into a lasting truce.