ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A suspected Russian airstrike killed at least 16 people in Aleppo, northern Syria on Saturday, amid ongoing clashes between regime forces and rebels, a war monitor reported.
Fighter jets, believed to be Russian, carried out airstrikes “targeting a gathering of people at al-Basel roundabout in Aleppo city,” the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
The strikes killed 16 people and injured 20 others.
Additional airstrikes on Aleppo have been reported, but there are no immediate details of casualties or damage.
The attacks come amid chaos in Aleppo, as clashes intensify between Syrian regime troops and a coalition of rebels, spearheaded by the jihadist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The Islamist fighters entered the city on Friday afternoon after taking several villages in the surrounding countryside and gaining ground for the first time in years. The surprise offensive was launched on Wednesday.
Developments are happening quickly on the ground. Syrian rebels on Saturday announced they had control of Aleppo International Airport, hours after Kurdish forces were deployed to the location as well as other areas of the city. There are no reports of clashes between Syrian rebels and Kurdish forces at the airport.
According to opposition media outlets, the rebels have taken control of most of Aleppo and they are advancing towards Hama province.
Iran’s foreign ministry on Saturday condemned what it called an attack by “armed terrorist elements” on its consulate in Aleppo, saying the attack violated international law.
“Iran will pursue this incident with serious legal and international measures,” read a statement from foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei.
Syria’s defense ministry on Saturday admitted it lost ground in Aleppo but said they are preparing a counterattack.
Syrian troops have withdrawn from Shahba, a town to the north of Aleppo that was held by Kurdish forces while the Syrian army protected its borders, a local source told Rudaw on Saturday.
