Dozens of people have been killed in Syrian air strikes on the cities of Idlib and Aleppo and the suburbs of Damascus, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
At least three people were killed while 16 others were injured when Syrian helicopters dropped seven barrel bombs on a neighbourhood in Idlib on Monday, the UK-based monitoring network said.
The death toll is expected to rise.
In Aleppo, at least five people, including three children, were killed in air strikes on the city of al-Bab, the Syrian Observatory said.
Ongoing clashes in Aleppo province have left many people dead or injured while thousands have been left homeless.
In the suburbs of Damascus, Zabadani and Eastern Ghouta, 12 barrel bombs were dropped on several areas leaving many injured, the Syrian Observatory said. No death toll has been reported yet.
Al Jazeera could not independently verify the reports of violence in Syria.
In central Damascus, a man detonated his explosives on Monday in the Rukn al-Din district, where major security compounds are located, according to a Syrian army source.
Elsewhere in Syria, clashes have resumed between government forces and opposition fighters in al-Suwaida and al-Hasakah.
In another Syria-related development, the US military denied a report that strikes led by it had killed at least 52 civilians in northern Syria earlier this week. It said those killed were actually fighters.
Rami Abdel Rahman, the Syrian Observatory's director, told Al Jazeera that among the 52 civilians killed were children.
He said the toll could rise as rescuers were battling to save 13 people trapped under rubble.
"US Central Command can confirm that coalition forces conducted air strikes in the vicinity of Birmahle, Syria, on April 30, destroying several ISIL fighting positions and striking more than 50 ISIL fighters," Major Curt Kellogg, Central Command spokesperson, said in a statement, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group.
"We currently have no indication that any civilians were killed in these strikes."
He also said Kurdish fighters and Syrian opposition fighters were clashing with ISIL fighters in a town roughly 2km away from Birmahle at the time of the air strikes.
"Prior to the air strikes, Kurdish forces, who held the town before leaving after being attacked by ISIL, reported there were no civilians present in that location and that there had not been any civilians present for two weeks prior to the coalition airstrikes," Kellogg said.
"We have significant mitigation measures in place within the targeting process and during the conduct of operations to reduce the potential risks of collateral damage and civilian casualties.
"We work extremely hard to be precise in the application of our airstrikes and take all allegations of civilian casualties very seriously."
The Syrian Observatory's Abdel Rahman had suggested that Birmahle was inhabited by civilians only, with no ISIL presence. (Al Jazeera)
At least three people were killed while 16 others were injured when Syrian helicopters dropped seven barrel bombs on a neighbourhood in Idlib on Monday, the UK-based monitoring network said.
The death toll is expected to rise.
In Aleppo, at least five people, including three children, were killed in air strikes on the city of al-Bab, the Syrian Observatory said.
Ongoing clashes in Aleppo province have left many people dead or injured while thousands have been left homeless.
In the suburbs of Damascus, Zabadani and Eastern Ghouta, 12 barrel bombs were dropped on several areas leaving many injured, the Syrian Observatory said. No death toll has been reported yet.
Al Jazeera could not independently verify the reports of violence in Syria.
In central Damascus, a man detonated his explosives on Monday in the Rukn al-Din district, where major security compounds are located, according to a Syrian army source.
Elsewhere in Syria, clashes have resumed between government forces and opposition fighters in al-Suwaida and al-Hasakah.
In another Syria-related development, the US military denied a report that strikes led by it had killed at least 52 civilians in northern Syria earlier this week. It said those killed were actually fighters.
Rami Abdel Rahman, the Syrian Observatory's director, told Al Jazeera that among the 52 civilians killed were children.
He said the toll could rise as rescuers were battling to save 13 people trapped under rubble.
"US Central Command can confirm that coalition forces conducted air strikes in the vicinity of Birmahle, Syria, on April 30, destroying several ISIL fighting positions and striking more than 50 ISIL fighters," Major Curt Kellogg, Central Command spokesperson, said in a statement, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group.
"We currently have no indication that any civilians were killed in these strikes."
He also said Kurdish fighters and Syrian opposition fighters were clashing with ISIL fighters in a town roughly 2km away from Birmahle at the time of the air strikes.
"Prior to the air strikes, Kurdish forces, who held the town before leaving after being attacked by ISIL, reported there were no civilians present in that location and that there had not been any civilians present for two weeks prior to the coalition airstrikes," Kellogg said.
"We have significant mitigation measures in place within the targeting process and during the conduct of operations to reduce the potential risks of collateral damage and civilian casualties.
"We work extremely hard to be precise in the application of our airstrikes and take all allegations of civilian casualties very seriously."
The Syrian Observatory's Abdel Rahman had suggested that Birmahle was inhabited by civilians only, with no ISIL presence. (Al Jazeera)
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