US President Barack Obama has approved non-lethal aid, including communications equipment and medicines, for the rebels in Syria.

A US official, whose name was not mentioned in the news reports, said on Friday that Washington is “providing non-lethal material assistance to the non-violent, political opposition", Press TV reported. 

The official added that the move was “consistent with… efforts to support” the Syrian opposition. “It is likely deliveries of this assistance will increase over time.”

Obama pledged to send the aid package to the Syrian rebels in March.

The approval of the aid package came one day after a ceasefire went into effect in Syria, in line with a six-point peace plan proposed by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

On April 11, the Syrian government issued a warning that security forces would “respond proportionately to any attacks carried out by armed terrorist groups against civilians, government forces or public and private property.”