DAMASCUS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Russian-backed Fifth Corpse of the Syrian army sent "massive reinforcement" to areas in the southern countryside of Idlib province in northwestern Syria, a war monitor reported on Thursday.
The military reinforcement, which includes infantry units and heavy types of machinery, reached the outskirts of the Jabal al-Zawiyeh region in the southern countryside of Idlib, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The arrival of the military back up comes amid heavy shelling in the same area over the past few days, added the UK-based watchdog group.
Areas in the southern countryside of Idlib have witnessed an increase in the shelling by the Syrian government forces, said the Observatory, adding that the shelling has been ongoing since midnight.
It's worth noting that areas in Idlib are part of the de-escalation zone where a cease-fire supported by Russia and Turkey went into force in March.
Meanwhile, the Observatory said the 70 Turkish military vehicles entered Syria on Thursday and were deployed to Turkish observation points in Idlib.
A total of 4,515 Turkish military vehicles have entered Idlib since the cease-fire went into force in March.
Idlib is the last major rebel stronghold in the country, where around 3 million people live.
The Idlib region also harbors a myriad of rebel groups, on top of which is the al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Enditem
