DAMASCUS, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Five explosions rocked the rebel-held areas in the northwestern Idlib province in Syria Saturday, leaving injuries, amid an increasing lawlessness in the last major rebel stronghold in Syria, a monitor group reported.
The explosions took place in several areas controlled by the Levant Liberation Committee (LLC), otherwise known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, in Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The explosions included two roadside bombs that went off on the road between the provincial capital of Idlib and the town of Sarmin in the countryside, causing many injuries.
One of the LLC fighters was critically wounded while dismantling a car bomb under a car near a park in Idlib city. Another explosive device ripped through a vehicle that belongs to the LLC in the town of Saraqeb in Idlib countryside.
In the town of Dana in northern Idlib, a car bomb exploded, wounding four people.
The observatory said the state of lawlessness prevails Idlib, which is anticipating a possible wide-scale offensive by the Syrian army.
Meanwhile, other activists said the LLC accused the so-called Islam Army of staging the explosions and causing the chaos in Idilb.
Idlib has emerged as the main destination and stronghold for the rebels fleeing other parts of Syrian through deals or surrender.
In recent months, the Syrian army captured several towns in the southern countryside of Idlib and hundreds of people started returning to those areas.
Additionally, Idlib is now in a state of severe lawlessness amid assassinations, explosions, and infighting.
The LLC, the major rebel group in Idlib, has stressed that it will not surrender and will fight back against the anticipated Syrian attack.
For the army, securing Idlib would almost deal a definite defeat to the over seven-year-long insurgency against the administration of President Bashar al-Assad.
Idlib is also strategically important as it shares a border area with Turkey to the north. It is also close to the coastal province of Latakia, the hometown of President Bashar al-Assad and it contains a Russian-run air base that has been repeatedly targeted by rebels' drones.
The capital city of Idlib also lies close to the international road linking the capital Damascus with Aleppo province in northern Syria.
Around 2.5 million people live in Idlib, including people who were evacuated during the surrenders of the rebels in many other Syrian areas.
There is no precise estimates of the actual fighters among the 2.5 million. Not all of the fighters will fight as many rebel groups want to accept reconciliation with the government but the LLC and its allies have rejected it.
