23 people killed in Syria air strikes

Air strikes killed 23 people at a holiday spot in northwestern Syria on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, the last day of a 72-hour ceasefire announced by the Syrian army.

A riverside area in the town of Darkush, near the Turkish border, in western Idlib province was targeted in the air strikes. Idlib province and city are under the control of rebel groups including the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

The dead and injured had come from towns around the province to enjoy the Muslim Eid holiday weekend, witnesses and the Observatory said.

The death toll, which included 10 women and two children, is likely to rise due to the number of severely injured people, according to the Observatory.

Video uploaded to a social media website purports to show the aftermath of the strikes.

A 72-hour ceasefire was announced by the Syrian army on Wednesday (July 6), but rebels and the Observatory said there had been little let-up in the violence.

On Thursday (July 7), government forces took a step towards completely encircling rebel-held parts of Aleppo, capturing ground overlooking the only road into the opposition half of the city and effectively putting those areas under siege.

Syrian and Russian jets carry out air strikes across Syria but it was not known who carried out Friday’s attack in Idlib.