Obama 'deeply concerned' about Syria ceasefire 'fraying'

US President Barack Obama said today he was "deeply concerned" at the prospect of a truce in Syria coming to an end.
"I am deeply concerned about the cessation of hostilities fraying and whether it's sustainable," he said at a press conference in London with Prime Minister David Cameron.
He added: "The cessation of hostilities actually held longer than I expected, and for seven weeks we've seen a significant reduction in violence inside that country and that gave some relief to people."
Obama said that "if in fact the cessation falls apart, we will try to put it back together again even as we continue to go after ISIL", referring to the Islamic State group.

He added: "I have always been sceptical about (Russian President Vladimir) Mr Putin's actions and motives inside of Syria.
"He is, along with Iran, the pre-eminent backer of a murderous regime."

The UN's top envoy to the war-ravaged country warned earlier Friday that the fragile ceasefire in Syria is in grave peril without urgent action.
The truce "is still in effect, but it is in great trouble if we don't act quickly," Staffan de Mistura told reporters, adding that peace talks in Geneva would continue through Wednesday.
The landmark partial ceasefire was negotiated by the United States and Russia and took effect on February 27.