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AFP
The strikes targeted an area where rebels make their last fight
"More fierce raids in a few weeks" in northern Syria
Syria and Russia have been conducting their most intensive air raids for weeks on rebel positions in the northern Idlib province, according to activists.
They say that strikes targeted the eastern and southern parts of Idlib, as well as the neighboring province of Hama.
It is the last major rebel-controlled area in Syria and government forces, supported by Russia, are about to attack.
On Friday, leaders of Russia and Iran rejected calls for a truce despite fears of a humanitarian catastrophe.
On Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based watchdog, and the opposition-affiliated Idlib Media Center, said that helicopters dropped 19 bombs on targets in Idlib and Hama.
SOHR said the strikes were the most violent for more than a month of attacks against rebel – held areas in the north. At least four civilians, including two children, were killed, the statement said.
Why is Idlib important?
It is the last bastion of rebels and jihadists who have fought the Syrian authorities for seven years.
Idlib straddles the main highways across Syria and if the government takes it back, the rebels would be just a few isolated pockets.
- Who controls Idlib?
The province is not controlled by a single group, but by a number of rival factions, including a jihadist alliance linked to Al Qaeda and a National Liberation Front that is supported by Turkey.
It is estimated that up to 30,000 rebel and jihadist fighters are in Idlib.
But the vast majority of its inhabitants are civilians. The UN says the region is home to some 2.9 million people, including one million children.
More than half of the civilians have already been displaced.
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What happened to Friday's summit?
At a meeting in Tehran between Russia, Iran and Turkey, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Turkey's calls for a truce in Idlib.
Putin said Russia will continue to fight "terrorists".
Turkey – which has long supported some rebel groups – fears that a final attack will trigger another major refugee crisis on its southern border.
However, Russia and Iran have stated that jihadist groups in Idlib should be eliminated.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that "fighting against terrorism in Idlib was an essential part of the mission of restoring peace and stability in Syria".
What are the concerns?
The UN fears that a large-scale offensive in Idlib will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.
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AFP
Thousands of people displaced by civil war take refuge in Idlib camps
On Thursday, the new US envoy to Syria, Jim Jeffrey, said the anticipated conflict would be "reckless escalation", and that "there is ample evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared".
He did not give details of the evidence to which he referred.
What do we know about the recent use of chemical weapons?
The Syrian government has denied ever using chemical weapons.
However, experts from the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have stated that government forces were behind an attack involving the neurological agent
The US State Department warned Monday that Washington would respond to any new chemical attack by the Syrian government or its allies.
