Russian strikes kill 56 rebels in north-western Syria

Beirut (dpa) 26 October 2020 -  At least 56 Turkish-backed rebels were killed on Monday after Russian planes targeted their military training camp in north-western Syria with airstrikes, according to a monitoring group.  

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the camp belonged to Faylaq al-Sham, an alliance of Sunni Islamist rebel groups that is aligned with Turkey.  

The watchdog said the number of wounded rose to 100, adding that search operations were ongoing. It added that the death toll is likely to increase as most of the wounded are in serious condition.  

Faylaq al-Sham, set up in 2014 and made up of 19 different groups, had been set to hold a graduation ceremony in the coming days for some 150 new fighters trained at the camp, which is located in the Harem region in Idlib province.  

Idlib in north-western Syria is the last rebel stronghold in the country’s war-torn country. Russia-backed Syrian government forces began an offensive in the region last year, provoking concern at the United Nations.  

Moscow and Tehran back the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Ankara has been supporting opposition forces since the uprising started against al-Assad in 2011.