Russian jets bombs villages and towns near the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib

According to Reuters, there has been a significant escalation of violence in Syria’s last opposition stronghold, with reports of Russian airstrikes targeting villages and towns near the northwestern city of Idlib on Sunday. A Syrian war monitor informed AFP that at least 11 people, including seven civilians, were killed in the region, and dozens of others sustained injuries.

The White Helmets, a Western-backed emergency service, stated that warplanes flying at high altitudes dropped bombs on a vegetable market in Jisr al-Shughur, causing at least nine fatalities and injuring 30 others. Tracking centers cited by Reuters reported that the warplanes involved were Russian Sukhoi jets.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, confirmed that six civilians were killed in Jisr al-Shughur, and three rebel fighters were killed in the vicinity due to Russian airstrikes. The SOHR and AFP also mentioned a fruit and vegetable market in the city being hit by the Russian strikes.

Ahmed Yezidi, from the civil defense in Jisr al-Shughur, emphasized that nine people were killed in the bombing, without specifying if they were civilians or fighters. He described the attack as a direct assault on the popular market, which is a crucial source of income for local farmers.

Abdel Rahman informed AFP that one civilian and one rebel fighter were killed in a strike on the outskirts of Idlib city. He further noted that at least 30 civilians were wounded in Sunday’s airstrikes, and the death toll might increase.

Witnesses and rescuers cited by Reuters reported that Russian jets also targeted villages in the mountainous Jabal al Zawya region, located on the western outskirts of Idlib city. This area was designated as a buffer zone by Russia and Turkey, intended to end major fighting several years ago.

There have been no official statements from Syria or Russia regarding these reported attacks. According to Abdel Rahman, Moscow, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, carried out the airstrikes in response to rebel drone attacks in the past week that resulted in the deaths of four civilians, including two children.