Over 100 Killed in Fighting in Northwest Syria

Eight civilians also slain in airstrikes

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, over 100 combatants were killed in fighting in northwestern Syria, with Syrian forces fighting against the al-Qaeda linked Nusra Front.

The fighting raged over the last 24 hours, and included both the Idlib Province and the neighboring Aleppo Province. The split of casualties between the two sides is not yet clear.

In addition to the combatants, however, at least eight civilians were killed in Jisr al-Shughur, where a Syrian government airstrike hit. One child was reported to be among the slain.

The Islamist rebels are reported to have ended the day of fighting by seizing the hilltops, while artillery and airstrikes continued into the evening. Russian warplanes were also said to have participated in the airstrikes.

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.