Russian fighter planes blasted a city in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib region, killing nine civilians and injuring scores more, according to the local White Helmets emergency response organisation.
The Jisr al-Shughur city attack on Sunday caused damage to a fruit and vegetable market. CNN quoted a witness as saying that the “missile had so much pressure and the sharpness hit the crowded market.”
Ahmad Rahhal, a 26-year-old local journalist, said he arrived at the scene 30 minutes after the strike. “I saw tomato waggons on the ground and blood on the carpet.”
The White Helmets said this was the second day of airstrikes in the area, coming ahead of the Muslim festival, Eid al-Adha, in the Muslim-majority country. The past four days have also seen artillery fire, the civil defense added.
Sunday’s strike in Jisr al-Shughur stands as the most fatal in northwestern Syria so far in 2023.
Russian military flights over the country have shown marked aggression in the past few months.
In April, Russian pilots attempted to “dogfight” US jets over Syria, the US said. In military aviation, dogfighting is engaging in aerial combat, often at relatively close ranges.
Earlier this month, the US deployed F-22 fighter jets to the Middle East over concerns about “unsafe and unprofessional behavior” by Russian aircraft.