New fighting erupted Sunday near Damascus in spite of the United Nations' demand for a 30-day cease-fire to allow rescue and medical workers to enter the region.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said nine people were killed and another 31 injured outside the Syrian capital, boosting the death toll to more than 500 in clashes over the last week.
The fighting nonetheless appeared to be less intense in the wake of the U.N. Security Council's unanimous approval of the month-long truce. Attacks on residential areas appeared to have shifted to battles along the front lines between government forces and insurgents.
State media said government forces pushed into the capital's eastern Ghouta area, but opposition forces denied Damascus's troops had advanced. The Ghouta Media Center, an activist collective, said members of the Army of Islam insurgents had blocked the Syrian army, killing many soldiers.
Iranian General Mohammad Baqeri said Tehran, whose government backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Damascus would honor the U.N. resolution. But Baqeri also said the truce did not cover the area of the Damascus suburbs "held by the terrorists."
Ghouta-based activist Ahmad Khanshour said, "The Assad regime and his allies have shown no respect to the Security Council by launching their most intense offensive on Ghouta from several directions hours after the resolution was adopted."
State news media said the insurgents breached the truce by firing 15 shells at government-held areas.
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