BEIRUT, May 5. /TASS/. The 48-hour ‘regime of silence’ came into force from 01:00 a.m. local time in the Syrian city of Aleppo (some 360 kilometers of Damascus), the Surya television channel said on Wednesday.

Concurrently, the ‘regime of silence’ was extended in Damascus’ Eastern Ghouta and in the north of the Latakia province. Hostilities there were stopped on April 30 on the initiative of the Russian and U.S. sides upon agreement with the Syrian government and moderate opposition.

According to experts, the future of the ceasefire in Syria now depends on whether it will be possible to halt military escalation in Aleppo or not. Analysts say it is extremely difficult to distinguish in Aleppo between the so-called moderate opposition and terrorists of the Jabhat al-Nusra group, which is not covered by the ceasefire regime. Gunmen of all anti-government forces are fighting in a common coalition in Aleppo’s north, west and south.

Thus, Syrian government forces repelled attacks at five frontline sections in Aleppo’s al-Zahra neighborhood, where pro-Turkish Islamists fought for Jabhat al-Nusra.

Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city, has been split into two part since 2012. It western part, which gives shelter to most of its residents and is home to Syrian Christians, is controlled by the Syrian government army whereas its eastern part is controlled by about twenty armed groups.

The situation in the city has deteriorated in the past ten days as a result of continuous bombardments by armed groups. According to the Al-Hayat newspaper, more than 140 civilians (including 19 children) have been killed and more than 700 have been wounded in shelling.