Islamic State attacks YPG-held town at Turkish border

The YPG and Syrian Kurdish internal security forces were able to "crush this attack and encircle the attackers," Xelil said. "The attackers were eliminated," he added. He gave no casualty toll.

The YPG captured Tel Abyad from IS last year in an offensive backed by U.S.-led air strikes.

The Turkish security sources said the attack was launched in the early hours of Saturday on two fronts and that the sound of gunfire and explosions, audible from the town of Akcakale on the Turkish side, had continued for several hours.

The security sources and a witness in Akcakale said war planes thought to be from the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State struck the jihadist positions and that the Turkish army had increased patrols on its side of the border.

Xelil said some of the attackers on Saturday infiltrated from the Turkish border to the north, reiterating accusations that Turkey was supporting the group. Turkey has consistently denied those accusations and the security sources said recent measures to stop illegal crossings meant it was impossible that the attackers had entered from Turkey.

Other attackers infiltrated from the south, Xelil said. He said dozens of Islamic State fighters had been killed.

In the desert city of al-Salamiyah that links between Raqqa and Hama provinces, an ISIS suicide attack killed six fighters loyal to Bashar al-Assad early on Saturday.

The suicide bomber has detonated his car near al-Batata checkpoint iى the Ismaili-dominated city of al-Salamiyah east of Hama, killing two and wounding four, regime-run news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the 'cessation of hostilities' in Syria came into effect at the agreed time of midnight on Saturday (2200 GMT Friday), under a U.S.-Russian plan which warring sides in the five-year conflict have said would to commit to.

Syria's regime and rebels warring against it have said they would respect the halt to fighting.

The truce does not apply to ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front, and the Syrian government and Moscow have said they will not halt combat against those militants.

The UN Security Council threw its weight Friday behind a ceasefire agreement for Syria and demanded that it be upheld.

Syrian activists and local councils launched monitoring groups to stand on the ceasefire deal, and to report any breaches.

Walid al-Faris, activist, said his fellow activists had formed a local monitor in the central province of Homs that will tack the ceasefire on all battlefields and civil neighborhoods.

In their turn, social media activists founded Facebook pages and Twitter accounts to monitor the deal. (With Reuters)