ALEPPO, Syria — Battles are continuing in Idlib province despite a declared Aug. 31 cease-fire and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) is sending more fighters to the area to support opposition forces as they try to counter regime advances.

Backup from the FSA’s National Army has been arriving from Aleppo province to the fronts in southern Idlib since Aug. 18, but so far the reinforcements haven't been enough to stop regime forces and their allies, which seized the villages of Khwein al-Kabir, Tell Aghbar and al-Tamanah on Aug. 29 and 30. The week before, the regime took over Khan Sheikhoun and parts of northern Hama province.

On Aug. 28, Syrian regime warplanes reportedly killed 14 civilians in Maaret al-Numan, including six children and two women, and 34 others were wounded, including women and children.

Russian authorities announced that regime forces would unilaterally cease fire in Idlib on Aug. 31. However, the regime continues to breach the truce with heavy aerial and ground shelling, targeting opposition positions as well as civilian villages and towns on both sides of the Aleppo-Damascus highway between Khan Sheikhoun in the south and Marat al-Numan in the north.