With bullets flying and bombs exploding, rebels in Syria's Idlib Province aren't letting ongoing diplomatic negotiations in Geneva distract them.

Fighting in Syria's civil war has raged on for more than two-and-a-half years and steps by the international community to intervene have fallen short until recently.

A chemical weapons attack last month prompted talks of a U.S. military strike, but some rebels say it's just a threat.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ABU QAQAA, HEAD OF THE JUND ALLAH BRIGADE IN THE ZAWYA MOUNTAINS, SAYING:

"They are pretending that they will strike. We've been getting killed for three years. Our children are dying, our women are being raped, and only now is their conscience moved?"

Russia began work this week on a proposal to rid Syria of its chemical weapons in order to avoid the strikes.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. could still take military action to punish the Syrian government, a statement that has angered Syria