Regime airstrikes on Tuesday (July 16th) killed nine civilians in opposition-held north-west Syria, the target of months of regime and Russian bombardment, AFP reported.
Three children were among the nine killed outside Maaret al-Numan, a town located in a southern strip of Idlib province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The death toll is expected to rise due to critical wounds sustained by some other victims, according to the Observatory.
Russian and Syrian regime aircraft have ramped up strikes on Idlib since late April, killing more than 600 civilians, while 52 others have died from opposition fire, according to the Observatory.
Regime forces have also been locked in battle with extremists and allied opposition fighters on the edges of the bastion, which is held by extremist alliance Tahrir al-Sham, including the north of Hama province.
