9 civilians killed by Russian airstrikes in Syria's Idlib: report
A plume of smoke rises from a building following a reported Russian air strike, in Idlib, Syria, June 25, 2023. (AFP Photo)


An attack by Russian warplanes killed nine civilians and injured 30 others in Syria's Idlib, local sources said on Sunday.

Confirming the casualties, the White Helmets civil defense group said the attack hit the vegetable market in the Jisr al-Shughur district center. The death toll is feared to rise as the injured are referred to hospitals for treatment. Three Russian warplanes departed from the Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia at 10.03 a.m. local time. They carried out air strikes on the vegetable market in the Jisr al-Shughur district, the city center and a village, according to the opposition aircraft observatory.

In September 2018, Türkiye and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone where acts of aggression are expressly prohibited. However, the Syrian regime and its allies have consistently broken the ceasefire terms, launching frequent attacks inside the area. Syria has been embroiled in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Bashar Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, and more than 10 million others displaced, according to U.N. estimates.