Syrian troops shelled the south of Idlib on Sunday, according to rescuers and residents in the rebel stronghold where a cease-fire had halted a fierce army offensive two weeks ago.
Artillery fire battered Maarat al-Numan town and nearby villages in the south Idlib countryside over the past two days, after warplanes struck there on Thursday.
A rebel official said fighters were on high alert and had reinforced the front lines. "We are responding directly by targeting the positions from where the shells are fired," said Naji Mustafa of the National Liberation Front insurgent force.