Both the Syrian regime and Russia yesterday expanded their air campaign against areas controlled by the opposition, specifically in the city of Aleppo, the countrysides of Idlib and Homs and Ghouta, east of Damascus. Sources reported the death of dozens of people and said that dozens more were missing under the rubble.

Activists said that 15 civilians were killed, including four children, and 15 others were wounded during air raids carried out by Russian warplanes that targeted the centre of a popular market in Aleppo’s Al-Firdous neighbourhood that is under the control of the opposition. Abu Mohammed Al-Shami, a nurse in a field hospital in Aleppo, told the news outlet Syria News Desk that Russian warplanes used two missiles during the raid on the market whilst hundreds of civilians were buying necessities. He added that the injured were rushed to a field hospital for treatment and that some of them were critically injured. Three people with head injuries were placed in intensive care and some people had limbs amputated. Al-Shami added that civil defence teams are still searching for missing people under the rubble and pointed out that the bombing led to the destruction of shops and residential buildings.

The Syrian regime’s forces have been attacking the eastern neighbourhoods in Aleppo since the 22nd of September. Since then, clashes have been taking place in various areas including the Bustan Al-Basha and Al-Sheikh Saeed neighbourhoods in the south of the city.

For its part, the news agency Shahba Press reported that the Al-Firdous neighbourhood was the target of several air raids carried out by the regime’s aircraft. Twelve people were killed, others were injured and buildings were damaged as a result. The agency also reported that the Kallaseh neighbourhood was the target of four Russian air raids and that this caused a lot of damage to buildings. These air raids come after a bloody day in which the number of those killed rose to 55 and many were injured during Russian raids on Aleppo and its countryside.

In addition to this, government forces stationed in the towns Nubul and Al-Zahra targeted the towns of Hiyan and Biyanoon in the Aleppo countryside, which are controlled by the opposition, with 25 rockets, some of which were Elephant rockets. Houses and other buildings were destroyed according to reports by activists.

Meanwhile, a woman and her two children were killed and more than 8 people were injured in the Idlib countryside yesterday after Russian warplanes targeted villages in the eastern Idlib countryside with thermobaric rockets.