Shelling by the Bashar Assad regime killed a Syrian civilian Sunday in the Idlib de-escalation zone in northern Syria, according to local sources.

Regime forces fired shells at Maghara and al-Bara villages in Idlib, the sources with the Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets) said.

Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia in March 2020.

The Syrian regime, however, has consistently violated the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.

Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Over the past decade, around half a million people have been killed and more than 12 million had to flee their homes.