Syria cease-fire holds as rivals renew talks

GENEVA — The United Nations’ special envoy for Syrian peace talks on Monday said a U.S. and Russia-brokered cease-fire in the country’s southwest was generally holding despite some “teething problems,” adding he hoped it would contribute positively to talks between the government and opposition.

The new round of indirect talks that began Monday is the seventh so far between Syrian government representatives and opposition leaders to try to wind down the battered country’s 6-year-old civil war.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported light shelling and bombardment in the city overnight.

The United Nations-led diplomatic effort seeks partly to ensure humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria and plan for the day after the war is over.

At the press conference, de Mistura avoided questions about any political transition away from President Bashar Assad, saying the talks are focusing on de-escalation and stabilization for now.

[...] Syrian government forces retook the al-Hail gas field in central Syria from Islamic State militants, the army reported.