Russian airstrikes kill 42 at market in Idlib: rescuing group

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Russian airstrikes on a local market in the northwestern province of Idlib have killed at least 42 civilians, Civil Defense agency and local activists said.

The deadly strikes hit the town of Harem, which is controlled by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a group led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Russia's air force has stepped up its indiscriminate bombing on Idlibin the last four days, killing more than 70 people as its warplanes have been pounding displaced camps, schools and markets.

At least 98 people have been killed, 134 others were injured by airstrikes in opposition-held parts of Idlib and Hama provinces in the last two weeks, according to Observatory.

Entire residential quarters were buried in rubble in #Harim city today, where @syriacivildefe teams continue to search for survivors, after brutal air raids on the city's market this afternoon, number of victims is 35 civilians killed and more than 50 injured documented so far. pic.twitter.com/Zd7pEFvryZ
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) March 22, 2018

Russian airstrikes on the village of Kafr Batikh killed 22 people on Wednesday

including 19 children, according to the Observatory.

Some 15 of those killed in the strike, in the eastern part of Idlib province, were from one family said the Britain-based war monitor.

On Monday, 22 displaced people have been killed when Russia's warplanes pounded their camp in northern Idlib province, Civil Defense rescuing group said.

The Russian used high-explosive missiles in the deadly strike on the camp in Hass village in the southern countryside of Idlib. 15 more people were also wounded, according to rescuing group.

Idlib has been a haven for tens of thousands of rebels and civilians who were forced to abandon their homes in other parts of western Syria that the government and its foreign military allies have recaptured from rebels.

It has already been the target of intensive strikes by the Russia and regime air forces in the past year that have killed thousands of civilians and destroyed hospitals and civil defense centers.

Zaman Al Wasl