At least 15 killed in airstrike on Aleppo marketplace

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – An airstrike on a marketplace in rebel-held eastern Aleppo killed at least 15 people on Wednesday.

The early afternoon airstrike destroyed several shops in the city’s besieged east, which has been the target of a massive bombing campaign by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally since the collapse of a ceasefire last month.

The Associated Press reported that the attack came as rescuers were still digging through the rubble from air raids the day before that killed dozens.

Regime and Russian forces began an offensive three weeks ago to unite the rebel-held east and government-held west of Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, which has turned into the battleground in a civil war now in its sixth year.

Meanwhile, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported that the Syrian air force continued its bombardment of Aleppo city and other parts of the eponymous province on Wednesday, claiming “a large number” of Islamic militants were killed.

“The Syrian Air Force destroyed a number of vehicles, armored vehicles and positions for the terrorist organizations and killed a large number of their members in Khan Touman, al-Zirbeh, al-Barqoum, Abu Shalim, Maarata, Kafr Naha and al-Rashidin in Aleppo province, according to a military source,” Syria’s official SANA news agency said.

“Army units destroyed fortified positions, gatherings and vehicles for terrorist organizations affiliated to Jabhat al-Nusra in the neighborhoods of al-Rashideen 4 and al-Rashideen 5 on the western outskirts of Aleppo city,” it said.