Syria: schoolchildren among 26 killed in airstrikes – reports

Syrian or Russian airstrikes have killed at least 26 people, most of them schoolchildren, in a village in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province – according to rescue workers and a monitoring group. The raids are said to have hit a residential area and a school in Haas village. A Syrian state TV report quoted a military source as saying that a number of militants had been killed when their positions were targeted in Haas, but did not mention a school. The Civil Defence network, which operates in rebel-held areas in the country, said 20 of the dead in Wednesday’s attacks were children. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor, said the warplanes had struck several locations in Haas including an elementary and middle school, killing at least one teacher as well as the children. It gave a lower toll of 15 children killed. Meanwhile, Turkey’s president says his country’s actions in Syria will not extend to trying to take control of Aleppo. “Let’s achieve peace for the people of Aleppo. Let’s make a joint fight against terrorist organisations. But Aleppo belongs to the people of Aleppo. We need to be clear on this. It is not right to make calculations over Aleppo,” said Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Aleppo was Syria’s most populous city before the war erupted. It is now divided into government and rebel-held areas. Airstrikes have reduced the rebel-controlled east to ruins.