RUSSIAN AIR STRIKE KILLED 44 IN SYRIA

Not less than 44 people were killed and many others wounded on Sunday in a suspected Russian air strike on a crowded marketplace in Idlib province, according to activists.

Ariha al-Youm a Local news channel reported cluster bombs were used in the raid by a Russian fighter jet and earlier, 40 people was reported to have died in the raid by the TV channel.

The town of Ariha controlled by the Army of Conquest, was hit by the strike. Several other places in the town apart from the market were also hit, said the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Russian air strikes have previously hit several Army of Conquest positions in Idlib province.

The Director of the observatory, Rami Abdulrahman, said at least 60 people were killed and wounded in the attack.






Russian defence ministry officials could not be reached immediately for comment.

Ariha was seized in May by the Army of Conquest alliance after a heavy fight with forces loyal to the Syrian army, which resulted in the entire province falling into rebel hands.

Since September 30, the Russian air force has been conducting air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad. saying it's targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other "terrorists," but critics accuse Moscow of targeting other rebel groups more than ISIL.




The province is not a stronghold of ISIL, which controls wide areas of eastern Syria.