Airstrikes in Syrian market, Russia denies involvement

Air strikes on a popular market and residential neighborhoods killed at least 20 people and wounded dozens on Monday in an attack on one of the main opposition-held cities in northwestern Syria, rescuers and residents said.

The raids, believed to be carried out by either Syrian or Russian jets, targeted Maarat al-Numan, a densely populated city in the south of Idlib province, leaving a trail of destruction and carnage, they said.

“Bodies are lying on the streets. May God take revenge on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and (Syrian President Bashar al-Assad) for their crimes,” Abdul Rahman al-Yasser, a rescuer from Idlib’s civil defense team, told Reuters. He was searching for bodies under the rubble.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence denied on Monday its planes carried out air strikes on the rebel-held Syrian city of Maarat al-Numan that hit a popular market and residential neighbourhoods.

The raids killed at least 20 people in the densely-populated city in the south of Idlib province earlier on Monday and were believed to have been carried out by either Syrian or Russian jets, rescuers and residents said.

“Russia’s Air Force did not carry out any missions in the given region of the Syrian Arab Republic,” the ministry said in a statement.

Busy marketplaces and residential areas have been frequently targeted during a campaign waged by Syria and Russia since the end of April. Assaults on civilian areas have killed hundreds, rescuers say.

Residents said escalating strikes on urban centers have triggered a new wave of displacement towards the relative safety of the border area with Turkey.

The offensive has so far failed to make major inroads into rebel territory in Hama and Idlib provinces, where mainstream rebels backed by Turkey alongside jihadist fighters are putting up fierce resistance in their last remaining bastion.

Turkey, which reached an accord last September with Russia to contain the fighting and is seen by many civilians in opposition areas as a protector, said Moscow should pressure its Syrian ally to halt the bombing.

“The responsibility to stop the regime attacks (in Idlib) is on our neighbor Russia,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkish broadcaster TGRT Haber.

U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said last month the Russian-Syrian operation had used “internationally prohibited and other indiscriminate weapons in unlawful attacks on civilians”.

Russia and the Syrian army deny allegations of indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas and say they are fighting al-Qaeda-inspired Islamist militants.

The United Nations estimates at least 330,000 people have been uprooted since the offensive began.