Syria Activists: Airstrike in the center of Aleppo kills 16 people

According to activists, at least 16 people have been killed in an airstrike on the center of the Syrian city of Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights spoke of a "massacre". At least 20 people were also injured in the alleged attack by Russian warplanes. It was the first airstrike on the center of Aleppo since the beginning of the rebel offensive in northwest Syria. Russia is supporting the government forces of President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war.

An alliance of insurgents led by the Islamist organization Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) made surprisingly large territorial gains during an offensive in the northwest of the country this week. The rebels have recently captured large parts of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city.

According to the UK-based monitoring center, 327 people have been killed so far. The organization obtains its information from a network of informants on the ground.

SDA