A wave of late night airstrikes pummeled the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib, killing at least 23 people, wounding dozens and trapping several under the rubble of their homes as the intense bombardment struck near two hospitals and a mosque, opposition activists said Tuesday.
(FOX)- At least seven children were among those killed, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, claiming that Russian aircraft carried out the strikes. Moscow, however, insisted it was not involved in the strikes on Idlib, a city held by several militant groups, including Al Qaeda’s branch in Syria known as the Nusra Front.
“The Russian aviation hasn’t performed any combat tasks, moreover hasn’t conducted any airstrikes in the province of Idlib,” the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said in a statement Tuesday.
Since the Russian military campaign began last September in an effort to shore up Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces in their battle against Islamic militants, Moscow has staunchly denied that its warplanes have hit any civilian areas in Syria.
Like its more powerful rival, the Islamic State group, the Nusra Front has also been excluded form a cease-fire brokered by Russia and the United States that went into effect in late February and collapsed weeks later.
The Nusra Front has evacuated all its civilian centers, such as religious courts, in the city of Idlib and nearby villages and towns, said an activist based in Idlib province who goes by the name of Ahmad Ariha.
“The Russians claim they are targeting the Nusra Front,” said Ariha adding, that the air raids late Monday killed and wounded some 250 people. He said some of the casualties were taken to clinics near the Turkish border in the Bab al-Hawa area.