Russian, regime airstrikes leave 33 dead in N. Syria

By Mohamed Misto

ALEPPO, Syria (AA) – Thirty-three civilians were killed Thursday by airstrikes carried out by Syrian regime and Russian aircraft in opposition-held parts of northern Syria, pro-opposition civil defense sources told Anadolu Agency.

Local residents, who spoke anonymously due to fears for their safety, said 22 civilians had been killed and another 25 injured when regime helicopters and Russian warplanes struck the districts of Al-Fardos, Al-Saleheen and Al-Mashhad in the Aleppo province.

Meanwhile, local sources in the countryside of Idlib province -- who also spoke anonymously due to safety concerns -- told Anadolu Agency that 11 civilians had been killed and another 20 injured in separate airstrikes that targeted the village of Talmenes.

Aleppo and Idlib have both seen an uptick in airstrikes in recent days, coinciding with fierce clashes on the ground between armed opposition groups and regime forces on Aleppo’s outskirts as the latter attempt to tighten their grip on the besieged city.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests -- which erupted as part of that year’s "Arab Spring" uprisings -- with unexpected ferocity.