SYRIA (REUTERS) Syrian forces on the advance in Latakia.

A video uploaded by the Syrian military purports to show armed forces on the move as they prepare for a major operation to regain the north-western province of Idlib, now mainly in the hands of hardline Islamist groups.

Footage obtained by Reuters shows Syrian forces preparing weapons and setting up a base in an eastern suburb of Aleppo.

This comes after heavy battles as they push for the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, and comes as the US and Russia reached a provisional agreement on ceasefire terms that do not include Islamic State.

A UN panel released a report on Monday which found "the fractured Syrian State is on the brink of collapse".