Syrian Airstrikes Kill 17 Civilians in Rebel-Held South

Barrel Bombs Hit Crowded Marketplace in Bosra Sham

Syrian warplanes carried out a barrel bomb attack against the rebel-held town of Bosra al-Sham today, in the nation’s far south. The barrel bombs landed in a crowded marketplace, according to locals, killing at least 17 civilians. An unconfirmed number of wounded were also reported.

Bosra al-Sham is one of several towns held by rebel factions along the southern border with Jordan. Many of the towns are held at least in part by al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front, with some pro-US factions trained in Jordan also participating in the area.

As the Syrian Civil War has dragged on, the Air Force has grown short on bombs and begun relying on makeshift barrel bombs, essentially oil barrels full of shrapnel, as an alternative. The weapons have been criticized for their unreliability, often careening off course and hitting civilians.

In addition to these strikes and the ones in Aleppo, Syria was also reported to have conducted airstrikes against the ISIS capital city of Raqqa. There were reportedly casualties, though the numbers have not yet come out.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.