‘Syrian gov’t shelling’ in Idlib kills eight, including children

War monitor, rescue groups blame gov’t for attacks; death toll one of the highest since last year’s ceasefire.

At least eight civilians, including six children, were killed in shelling and artillery fire by Russian-backed Syrian government forces in Idlib on Saturday, a war monitor said and a rescue group said. The attacks also wounded 16 people in several locations of the Jabal al-Zawiya area in the south of the stronghold, the UK-based Syria Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said. It killed five members of the same family in the village of Iblin, two children in Balyun village and another child in Balshun village, it said.