Russian airstrikes kill 12 civilians, injure 30 more in Syria

By Ahmet Karaahmet and Mehmet Burak Karacaoglu

IDLIB, Syria (AA) - Russian fighter jets on Thursday targeted Darat Izza and Etarib in Syria's western Aleppo countryside, killing 12 civilians and injuring 30 more.

According to opposition-affiliated aircraft observatories, the fighter jets took off from Russia's Hmeimim air base in the northwestern Syrian province of Latakia and conducted the strikes around midday.

Syrian Civil Defense, a neutral, volunteer humanitarian organization that works in search, rescue, and firefighting, confirmed the deaths of four people in Darat Izza and eight in Etarib. It also reported that seven children were among the 30 injured and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Meanwhile, clashes between Bashar al-Assad's regime forces and the armed opposition group Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have entered their second day in Aleppo and Idlib.

Opposition groups claimed to have captured 39 villages following clashes with the Assad regime’s forces.

Syria has been embroiled in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad Syrian regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

There has been no immediate confirmation or denial from Russia about the airstrikes.