Watchdog says Russian strikes in Syria’s Idlib kill 37 civilians

Russian air strikes on northwest Syria’s mainly jihadist-controlled province of Idlib killed at least 37 civilians, including 12 children, a Britain-based monitor says.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says it was the highest civilian death toll in Idlib since the region was designated in May as one of Syria’s “de-escalation” zones under an accord between regime allies Russia and Iran, and rebel backer Turkey.

“The air raids struck several locations and villages in the district of Jisr al-Shughur, leaving 37 dead among civilians, including 12 children,” Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman tells AFP, updating an earlier toll of 27 dead.

After several months of calm, Idlib province has for the past two weeks been the target of heavy air strikes by the regime and its Russian allies, following a jihadist assault in neighboring Hama province also covered by the de-escalation accord for Syria’s war that has cost more than 330,000 lives since 2011.

The Islamic State group has no fighters in Idlib.

— AFP