Syria: Russian forces kill 34 fighters in Idlib

Russian forces have killed 34 fighters and wounded more than 60 in air strikes on targets in Syria’s Idlib governorate, Russia’s Interfax reported late on Sunday, citing the deputy head of the Russian Reconciliation Centre for Syria.

“Air strikes were carried out against illegal armed groups involved in shelling the positions of Syrian government troops,” Interfax cited Rear Admiral Vadim Kulit as saying of the Saturday attack. Kulit said that in 24 hours, Syrian government troop positions were attacked seven times. Reuters was not able to verify the Russian report independently.

The Syrian army has blamed rebels, who it says are Islamist jihadists, for attacks on government-held areas in Idlib and Aleppo provinces and denies indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas under rebel control.

Opposition officials say both Moscow and Damascus are taking advantage of the world’s preoccupation with the Gaza conflict to escalate the shelling of a region where more than three million inhabitants refuse to live under the authoritarian rule of Syrian President Basar Al-Assad.

Kulit also reiterated frequent Russian accusations of aircraft violations of Syria’s airspace by the US-led coalition, saying that a number of jet and drone flights were not coordinated with the Russian forces. Earlier, a source told Reuters that the US has carried out two air strikes against Iran-aligned groups in Syria.

READ: US hints at more air strikes unless Iran-backed groups halt attacks