Russian strikes kill 18 in Syria’s Idlib: Local sources

By Halit Suleyman

IDLIB, Syria (AA) – Eighteen civilians were killed and another 30 injured late Thursday when Russian warplanes pounded northwestern Syria’s opposition-held city of Idlib, according to pro-opposition civil defense sources.

Speaking on condition of anonymity due to fears for their safety, the sources told Anadolu Agency that Russian warplanes had carried out a total of 12 airstrikes on the city.

Residential parts of the city sustained severe damage, while the injured were taken to nearby field hospitals.

According to the same sources, hundreds of Idlib residents fled the city to safer areas due to ongoing Russian airstrikes.

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.