Russian jets intensified their raids on rebel-held towns and cities in Syria’s northern Idlib province on Sunday night, a day after rebels shot down a Russian warplane and killed its pilot. In Idlib city, the provincial capital, one witness said a five-storey building was levelled and that at least 15 people were feared dead. In December, the Syrian army alongside Iranian-backed militias and heavy Russian airpower launched a major offensive to take territory in Idlib province, the last and most-densely populated province still mainly under opposition control. Russia’s defence ministry denies aiming at civilians and says it targets only hardline Islamist militants in Syria. On Sunday, rebels led by the militant Turkestan group waged a counter attack against the Syrian army and Iranian backed militias near the Abu Duhur air base in southern Idlib.

Source: Hindustan Times February 05, 2018 01:18 UTC