50 rebels killed by US-led airstrike in Syria's Idlib

50 rebels killed by US-led airstrike in Syria's Idlib

IDLIB (SYRIA), Aug. 24, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Syrian soldiers are seen in the town of Khan Shaykhun in the southern countryside of Idlib province, Syria, on Aug. 24, 2019. The Syrian army on Friday fully secured the entire northern countryside of the central province of Hama for the first time since 2012, the state media reported. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua/IANS)

Damascus, Sep 1 (IANS) At least 50 rebels, mainly commanders, were killed on Saturday by US-led airstrikes that targeted a meeting of rebel commanders in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, a war monitor reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the meeting grouped commanders of the Hurras al-Deen and Ansar al-Tawhid groups, both allied with the al-Qaida, Xinhua news agency reported.

It said the death toll exceeds 50, noting that more bodies are being discovered.

The Britain-based watchdog group said the US-led coalition targeted the meeting with at least seven highly explosive missiles.

The US Central Command confirmed that it had attacked leaders of al-Qaida in Idlib province, noting that the operation had targeted those "responsible for attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians."

The US airstrike comes as a cease-fire was declared by the Syrian army on Friday and went into effect on Saturday.

The new cease-fire aims at halting the fighting in Idlib between the Syrian army and the al-Qaida-linked groups.

--IANS

rt/