ALEPPO, Syria — On Dec. 1 and 2, Syrian regime fighters launched ground attacks on the opposition in eastern Idlib province, trying to retake their lost positions. In the fierce battles, regime forces succeeded in regaining control of Ijaz village but failed to recapture the rest of the villages, such as Suruj, Rasm al-Ward and Istablat.

The number of those killed totaled around 100 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in Coventry, England.

Syrian and Russian warplanes bombed opposition areas in eastern and southern Idlib dozens of times, adding civilians to the casualty count. In Saraqib, at least one person was killed, and at least nine died in a raid on the vegetable market in Maarat al-Numan. The planes also bombed Idlib Central Prison, killing or wounding 23 people. The educational complex in Maarat al-Numan announced Dec. 1 it was suspending school because of the danger.

On Nov. 30, the opposition carried out a ground offensive against regime forces in eastern Idlib province in response to repeated ground attacks by regime forces since mid-November and was able to take control of a number of towns. On that day, regime forces attempted to advance toward Hawija in northwest Hama province but failed to overtake opposition positions in Tell Dam in eastern Idlib at dawn. A number of regime forces were killed Nov. 29 as they attempted to advance on the Kabana fronts and the highlands in the northern countryside of Latakia.