A total of 24 people were killed Saturday by airstrikes against rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib, a monitor group reported.

The airstrikes targeted several areas in Idlib, mainly the Jisr al-Shughour area largely under the control of the rebels' Jaish al-Fateh, or Army of Conquest, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The shelling comes as the Syrian army advanced recently in the countryside of the coastal city of Latakia, stepping closer to the rebel stronghold Jisr al-Shughour.

The UK-based watchdog group said the death toll could rise due to the high numbers of people in critical condition.

Separately, state news agency SANA said the Islamic State group fired several rockets on the eastern city of Deir al-Zour in Syria, killing nine people.

The escalation comes a day after Russia and the United States announced they had reached an agreement on establishing a ceasefire in Syria, scheduled to take effect on Monday, as a prelude for further steps to resolve the Syrian crisis.

Source : XINHUA