Syria ceasefire in tatters as fighting erupts Several people have been killed in fighting across Syria within hours of a ceasefire being called to mark a holy Muslim day. Gunfire and explosions echoed over Douma, while fierce clashes erupted in the northern city of Aleppo. The UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi had hoped to build on the truce to calm the conflict that has left an estimated 32,000 people dead. Thousands have taken to the streets in protest against President Bashar al-Assad. There have been a number of demonstrations in cities across the country despite the Eid celebrations. Assad himself, who has vowed to defeat what he says are Islamist fighters backed by Syria's enemies abroad, was shown on state television attending Eid prayers at a Damascus mosque.