Syrian government forces launched an attack on opposition fighters in a southern province on Monday (July 10th) despite a ceasefire, but state media said the assault was against the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), AFP reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the assault in Sweida province began on Monday morning, almost 24 hours into an internationally brokered ceasefire.

"The regime started an attack on the area north-east of Sweida city, backed by airstrikes," the monitor said.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the groups under attack have received support from the international coalition fighting ISIS.

He said the regime had captured a string of hilltops and villages in the area.

But Syrian state media named those same positions as territory that government forces had captured from ISIS.

"Our forces and allies captured several areas, villages, hilltops and commanding positions in the eastern countryside of Sweida after eliminating large numbers of ISIS terrorists," state news agency SANA said.

The clashes come as a ceasefire for southern Syria negotiated by the US, Russia and Jordan entered its second day.

So far, the deal announced Friday has brought quiet to most of the three provinces covered: Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida.

But in addition to the Sweida clashes, there have been other limited violations according to the Observatory, including regime shelling and exchanges of fire with rebels in Daraa.

In Quneitra province, there were also reports of sporadic machine gun fire from both sides, though there were no casualties in any of the incidents, the monitor said.

Sunday's ceasefire went into effect just ahead of new peace talks in Geneva.