Protesters take to streets amid Syria's fragile truce

(CNN) -- Guns mostly fell silent in Syria Thursday after an early morning cease-fire took effect and cast an eerie calm over restive cities and towns that had been pounded by government forces in recent days.

"Syria is apparently experiencing a rare moment of calm on the ground," said Kofi Annan, the special envoy who brokered Syria's peace plan.

"This is bringing much-needed relief and hope to the Syrian people who have suffered so much for so long in this brutal conflict. This must now be sustained."

Amid the fragile truce, opposition groups called for peaceful demonstrations, seemingly testing whether the government would stick to its word and the United Nations chief said the world was watching Syria with skepticism. Read More