Russian airstrikes kill 8 civilians in Syria's Idlib

By Esref Musa

IDLIB, Syria (AA) – At least eight civilians, including five children, were killed in Russian airstrikes Tuesday in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, where acts of violence are prohibited, a local civil defense agency said.

Syrian opposition aircraft monitors said Russian warplanes struck the city of Saraqib and towns of Maar Shoreen, Babeela and Jawbas.

The attacks on Jawbas left eight people, including five children, dead, sources with the White Helmets civil defense agency said.

Over 1,300 civilians have been killed in the Idlib de-escalation zone despite a deal reached by Ankara and Moscow in September 2018.

Over a million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border following intense attacks.

Since the eruption of the bloody civil war in Syria in 2011, Turkey has taken in over 3.6 million Syrians who fled their country, making Turkey the world’s top refugee-hosting country.

* Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara