DAMASCUS, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army continued to advance in the southern countryside of Idlib province in northwestern Syria on Tuesday, a war monitor reported.
The army advanced in several towns in the southern countryside of Idlib, a day after capturing a town in that area, which is considered the first advance in Idlib since the military campaign started there in late April.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that seven Syrian soldiers and nine rebels were killed in Tuesday's battles.
It added that the Syrian warplanes carried out 40 air raids on rebel-held areas in Idlib.
These areas are included in a de-escalation zones' deal established in September 2018 by Russia and Turkey.
The deal didn't materialize as battles have escalated since late April.
