The Syrian regime, paving the way for the upcoming battle for Idlib, led a military campaign of heavy bombardment which launched on Saturday night and targeted Syrian opposition strongholds in Idlib’s southern countryside. Regime shelling also hit opposition outposts in Aleppo’s western countryside. Reports showed dozens of civilians, including children, being killed and wounded in the campaign’s aftermath. At least 53 civilians, including 28 children, have been killed in a fierce bombardment on Friday that targeted rebel-held areas of northern Syria, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The airstrikes and barrel bombs targeted the key opposition-held province of Idlib and a rebel town in the adjacent province of Aleppo, the Observatory added. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that Friday’s bombardment was the most intense since Idlib was declared a “de-escalation zone” last year. Strikes were carried out against towns such as Khan Shaykhun, Al-Tamanah, and Tal Dhahab. More so, incoming reports said a massacre committed by regime forces took place in the town of Orum al-Kubra, located in western Aleppo rural areas, which killed at least 41 civilians, including 25 children. Syrian Opposition sources in the north described recent developments as “preliminary” compared to the major military campaign the regime has in store. Free Syria Army military commander said opposition factions participating in the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front are preparing for battles expected in Idlib and Hama’s western and eastern rural areas. The FSA official said that the number of Syrian Opposition fighters exceeds 100 thousand fighters. For its part, Moscow has been active and on high alert in anticipation of the upcoming and highly-contented battle for Idlib. After a telephone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart Mike Pompeo, the Kremlin multiplied its efforts for Syria discussions which included both Paris and Ankara. Moscow will hold more talks in days to come with both regional and international parties. In turn, the Russian media continued to develop "quick fix" scenarios for Syria’s Idlib.