Assad regime retaliates by bombing civilians in Idlib as rebels advance...

At least 25 people were killed in northwestern Syria in airstrikes carried out by the Syrian government and Russia, the rescue service run by the Syrian opposition, known as the White Helmets, said on Monday morning.

Russian and Syrian aircraft struck the rebel-held city of Idlib in northern Syria on Sunday, military sources said, as President Bashar al-Assad vowed to crush rebels who had penetrated the city of Aleppo.
Residents said one strike hit a densely populated residential quarter in central Idlib, the largest city in the rebel enclave near the Turkish border where about four million people live in makeshift tents and shelters.

At least nine people were killed and dozens wounded, rescuers on the scene said. The Syrian army and its ally Russia say they target rebel group hideouts and deny attacking civilians.

Ten children were among those killed in airstrikes in and around Idlib and other targets in rebel-held areas near Aleppo on Sunday, the White Helmets said.

The total death toll in Syrian and Russian strikes since November 27 has risen to 56, including 20 children, the group said in a post on the social media platform X.

Reuters could not independently verify battlefield reports.

The rebels are a coalition of main secular armed groups backed by Turkey, together with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist group designated a terrorist group by the United States, Russia, Turkey and other states.

In a joint statement, the United States, France, Germany and Britain called on "all parties to de-escalate and protect civilians and infrastructure to prevent further displacement and disruption of humanitarian access.

Assad regime retaliates by bombing civilians in Idlib as rebels advance on multiple fronts