Strikes on northern Syrian city said to kill at least 32

Monitoring groups say Russian bombing of northwestern city targeted rebel offices; fighters are among the dead

By AP 21 December 2015, 1:08 am

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Screen capture of a bomb being released from a Russian Su-34 strike fighter in Syria, taken from footage made available on the Russian Defense Ministry official website, October 9, 2015. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/AP, File)

BEIRUT — Two opposition monitoring groups say airstrikes on the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib have killed at least 32 people and wounded many others.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said warplanes believed to be Russian struck several areas including the offices of rebel groups, killing 36 and wounding many others. It said the dead included fighters.

The Local Coordination Committees said Russian airstrikes in Idlib killed 32 and wounded 140.

Russia began an air campaign in Syria on Sept. 30, saying its airstrikes are meant to weaken the Islamic State group and other “terrorists,” but Western officials and Syrian rebels say most of the strikes have focused on central and northern Syria, where the Islamic State group does not have a strong presence.