At least eight civilians, including five children, were killed in US-led coalition airstrikes on a weapons depot belonging to a rebel group allied with Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front, AFP reported Wednesday.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the raid occurred overnight in the Atmeh region of northwestern Idlib province.
“There were a total of 18 people killed. Eight of them were civilians, including five children and two women,” Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
“The strikes hit the Jaysh al-Sunna weapons depot, which was also used to manufacture shells and rockets. There was a huge explosion after the strikes,” he said.
Jaysh al-Sunna is part of a rebel alliance known as the Army of Conquest, which includes Nusra Front.
The US led coalition has on occasion targeted member groups of the alliance, including strikes on Ahrar al-Sham and Nusra Front. The overnight raids would mark the first strike on Jaysh al-Sunna by the coalition, AFP reported.
