Hundreds of families returned to their homes in the countryside of Idlib and Hama in northwestern Syria on Wednesday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

People were returning after seeking refuge in northern Syria.

It said the people returned after the government secured "suitable circumstances" through preparing basic services for the people to resume their lives.

On September 15, thousands of people returned to their areas in the region mentioned above, after the army removed land mines planted by the rebels.

Late last month, the Syrian army agreed to observe a cease-fire in Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in the country.

The Syrian army said that it reserves the right to respond to any violation by the Nusra Front, the backbone of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is the most powerful rebel group in Idlib.

This is the second truce announced in Idlib in August. On August 1, a Russian and Turkish-backed cease-fire was reached but quickly collapsed.

Since then, battles flared and the Syrian government forces were able to make notable gains, capturing key areas in the southern countryside of Idlib and the adjacent northern countryside of Hama province.

The new cease-fire aims at halting the fighting in Idlib between the Syrian army and the al-Qaida-linked groups.