Russian strikes kill 13 in attack on last rebel bastion in Syria

RUSSIAN jets have bombed the last Syrian rebel stronghold, threatening a ceasefire that was put in place to prevent major bloodshed.

The raids, which killed at least 13 civilians including six infants, were the first on the city of Idlib since Moscow agreed to a demilitarised zone with Turkey in September. The strikes targeted a camp for displaced people as well as a prison, sparking a jailbreak by dozens of inmates.

Idlib, which is now home to almost four million people, has become the final refuge for those opposed to the regime of Bashar al-assad, the Syrian president.

Assad has said he will not stop until he regains every inch of Syria, but the international community has warned a military offensive in Idlib could send millions fleeing to the Turkish border.

The northern province is largely controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-sham (HTS), a group led by Syria’s former alqaeda affiliate. Turkey, which supports the rebels, persuaded Russia, which is backing the government, to hold off from a full-scale attack in return for disentangling HTS from the general population, but has so far failed to do so. Speaking yesterday at an international pledging conference in Brussels, Mark Lowcock, UN humanitarian chief, warned that a large-scale military assault on Idlib “would create the worst humanitarian catastrophe the world has seen in the 21st century”.

The UN is asking donors to contribute to its £7billion appeal to help support vulnerable Syrians, refugees and the communities hosting them.