Monitor says air strikes increase sharply in rebel-held northwest Syria

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there was a marked escalation in air strikes in rebel-held northwestern Syria on Tuesday, prompting thousands of civilians to flee the town of Khan Sheikhoun.

Syrian state media said insurgents had fired rockets at several towns in the northern part of Hama province, killing one civilian and wounding seven others in what it said was a violation of a de-escalation agreement.

(Reporting By Stephen Kalin, editing by Tom Perry and Andrew Heavens)