Dozens killed as conflict escalates across Syria

Syrian civil defence volunteers, known as the White Helmets, extinguish a fire following air strikes on the rebel-held town of Hamouriyeh in Eastern Ghouta, outside Damascus, on March 25, 2017. MsallaShow more

BEIRUT // Air strikes on rebel-held parts of Syria killed and wounded scores of people on Saturday, including at a women’s prison and a clinic, amid clashes on multiple fronts between government forces and insurgent groups in some of the worst violence the country has witnessed in weeks.

The air strikes, of which some activists said included Russian air raids, concentrated on the rebel-held north-western province of Idlib, the central province of Hama and suburbs of the capital Damascus that have come under attack by insurgent groups over the past week.

The escalation in fighting comes days after a new round of UN-mediated talks opened in Geneva in an attempt to end Syria’s six-year war.

At least 16 people were killed and more than 50 wounded in strikes on a main street in the Damascus suburb of Hamouriyeh, activists said. The air strikes caused wide destruction in the area.

“They have been hitting Hamouriyeh for days but today they struck an area packed with civilians,” said Awis Al Shami of the civil defence search-and-rescue group, also known as the White Helmets.

The air strikes come as insurgent groups have been on the offensive in Damascus and the central province of Hama in recent days. Government forces and their allies launched a counteroffensive that captured some of the areas they lost in Damascus and Hama.

Opposition activists also reported air strikes on several towns and villages in Idlib province, as well as the provincial capital that carries the same name.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a Friday night attack struck a prison run by militants, killing at least 16 people including prisoners and prison staff in Idlib city. It added that women were among the dead as well.

The monitoring group, which has a network of activists around the country, said some people were killed by gunfire as prison guards chased detainees who tried to flee after the attack.

The Syrian National Coalition, one of the largest opposition groups, said the air strikes on Idlib targeted among other things a women’s prison, and dozens of people were killed or wounded.

The Observatory and the White Helmets said an air strike struck a clinic in the village of Kfar Nubul in Idlib province. They had no immediate word on casualties.

The Local Coordination Committees said five air raids struck the city of Idlib without giving further details.

Idlib is a stronghold of Syrian insurgent groups and is regularly targeted by Syrian and Russian warplanes. While parts of Idlib are controlled by Turkey-backed rebels, including factions who fight under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, other areas are dominated by the hardline Ahrar Al Sham group and others by the Al Qaeda-linked Tahrir Al Sham extremist alliance.

In the central province of Hama, Syrian government forces and their allies launched a counteroffensive, capturing some of the areas they lost in an attack by insurgents earlier this week.

The government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media said on Saturday that government forces had regained control of the village of Kawkab and repelled an attack on the town of Qamhana.

Insurgents had to withdraw from some recently gained areas after shelling and air strikes. The

On Wednesday, insurgents advanced to within a few kilometres of the government-held city of Hama in their new offensive spearheaded by the Al Qaeda-linked group.

The fighting forced thousands of civilians to flee the area, according to international aid groups.

* Associated Press and Agence France-Presse