An intense wave of Russian air strikes hit provinces of Aleppo, Hama and nearby areas in the neighboring province of Idlib on Wednesday, Reuters and activists said.
Russia, a top ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, started carrying out air strikes in Syria last week saying they were targeting hardline Islamic State militants.
But fighters on the ground and Western countries have said the Russian campaign is mainly focusing on other rebel groups and is aimed at shoring up Assad rather than combating Islamic State.
Russia's Wednesday strikes targeted the towns of Kafr Zita, Kafr Nabudah, al-Sayyad and the village of al-Lataminah in Hama province and the towns of Khan Shaykhun and Alhbit in Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Most of Idlib province is held by the Army of Conquest, or Fateh Army, an alliance that includes al Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front and other Islamist factions and that has put pressure on the Syrian military.
There were also
heavy surface-to-surface missile bombardments in the area, said the
Observatory, which tracks the conflict using sources on the ground.
In northern Aleppo, Zaman Al Wasl reported said 3 civilians, two children and a woman, killed and dozens wounded in Russian air strikes on Darret Ezzah.
Moscow has come under increased international pressure in recent days to explain its moves in Syria, where the Kremlin has been supporting Bashar al-Assad in a 4-1/2-year war.
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