UN spokesperson had announced that UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi was pushing "extremely hard" for a ceasefire in Syria and will brief the UN Security Council on Wednesday on his efforts

UN spokesperson had announced that UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi was pushing "extremely hard" for a ceasefire in Syria and will brief the UN Security Council on Wednesday on his efforts.

Brahimi is now back in Cairo following talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky told reporters.

Nesirky had previously said that Brahimi and Assad held "frank and substantive" talks and that the Syrian leader had given a "positive reaction" to UN calls for a ceasefire during the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha this week.

Brahimi has also appealed to the Syrian opposition to halt the 19-month-old conflict but fighting has raged all week across the country despite the calls.

"It remains to be seen what will happen" about the ceasefire, Nesirky said Tuesday. "Mr. Brahimi is pushing extremely hard as is the secretary general because this is an extremely important moment."

Nesirky said the international mediator wanted "a long-lasting ceasefire that will enable a political process to unfold."

Brahimi will address the 15-member Security Council by video on Wednesday.