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Death Toll From Russian Air Strikes In Idlib Climbs To 23

At least 23 people were killed in Russian air strikes overnight in the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, the heaviest bombardment there since a cessation … Continue reading Death Toll From Russian Air Strikes In Idlib Climbs To 23


russian3At least 23 people were killed in Russian air strikes overnight in the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, the heaviest bombardment there since a cessation of hostilities was agreed in February, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Observatory said the air strikes targeted a number of positions in the city, one of them next to a hospital.

Seven children were among the dead, Observatory Director, Rami Abdulrahman, said.

“A Horror Story”

The toll is likely to rise, as scores of injured, mostly civilians, are in a critical condition.

However, a Russian Defence Ministry spokesman on Tuesday denied it had conducted air strikes overnight against Idlib, calling the Observatory’s allegations “a horror story” that should be regarded with scepticism.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the strikes had killed more than 60 civilians and complained in a statement about what it said were the “indefensible” crimes of the Russian and Syrian governments. It gave no indication how it arrived at the higher toll.

The Russian air force deployed to Syria last year to support President Bashar al-Assad in the war with rebels seeking to end his rule.

Rescue workers searched for casualties through the night, finding some survivors including a child under the rubble of buildings, the Civil Defence said on its Facebook page.

Idlib city and the province by the same name is a stronghold of rebel groups including the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.