Renewed Tensions: Russian and Syrian Jets Bomb Idlib in Escalating Conflict

Russian and Syrian aircraft launched a second day of strikes on rebel-held Idlib, targeting insurgents near Aleppo. The military action, aimed to recapture territories, resulted in civilian casualties. President Assad's forces, challenged by recent rebel advances, regrouped amidst ongoing international tensions, highlighting the enduring complexity of the Syrian conflict.

Idlib, a city held by rebels in northern Syria, endured a second consecutive day of aerial assaults by Russian and Syrian forces as part of a strategy to regain control over insurgent-held territories, Syrian military sources reported.

According to residents, one high-intensity strike targeted a densely populated residential area in Idlib, a city home to about four million people living in provisional shelters. Rescuers on-site reported at least four fatalities and multiple injuries.

Syrian and Russian authorities maintain that their operations aim exclusively at insurgent hideouts, denying attacks on civilians. The situation remains tense as Assad's forces continue to grapple with opposition from powerful Turkey-backed groups and the Islamist faction Hyat Tahrir al Sham.

(With inputs from agencies.)