Russian jets strike Syria rebels following Aleppo ‘chemical attack’: Moscow

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Russia launched airstrikes against Syrian opposition positions in rebel-held Idlib on Sunday, according to Russia’s defense ministry. 

The Russian strikes came in response to Saturday's shelling of regime-held Aleppo with suspected chemical munitions. 

SANA, Syria’s state news agency, reported “107 cases of breathing difficulties” after the shelling – the first suspected use of chemical weapons on Aleppo in the seven-year war.

Moscow accused Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HST), an alliance led by Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate, of firing the shells, thought to contain chlorine. Rebel groups have denied involvement. 

Forty-six people – including eight children – have been hospitalized, said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov, according to TASS news agency.

“The planes of Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces carried out strikes on the detected artillery positions of terrorists in the area, from where the shelling of Aleppo civilians with chemical munitions was conducted late on November 24,” Konashenkov said.

“As a result of the strikes, all of the rebel fighter targets were destroyed,” he added.

Konashenkov said Turkey, which supports the rebel side in Syria’s civil war, was informed in advance of the airstrikes. 

These are the first strikes since Russia and Turkey reached a ceasefire deal in October and established a buffer zone around Idlib – staving off an expected regime offensive. 

Three million people are thought to still reside inside Idlib. 

Over the course of Syria's civil war, the regime has been accused of using both chlorine and sarin gas against rebel-held areas.

The regime and its Russian sponsor deny the allegations, instead accusing opposition fighters of staging chemical attacks to provoke a Western intervention.