Civil war in Syria: Dead and dozens injured in cluster munition attack
Idlib -At least nine people have been killed in bombings in northern Syria .
Around 70 other people were injured by artillery fire from Syrian government troops, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the White Helmets rescue organization unanimously announced on Sunday.
Internationally banned cluster munitions are also said to have been used.
The attacks hit several refugee camps in the Idlib region. Russian fighter jets are also said to have bombed positions. However, no details were initially available.
Cluster munitions are many small explosive devices that are launched in containers from aircraft and rocket launchers. They are distributed indiscriminately over large areas and explode.
Many also land in the ground as unexploded ordnance and kill or injure people years later. The vast majority of victims are civilians.
Civil war in Syria has been raging since 2011
After more than ten years of civil war , the region around Idlib is the last major rebel area in the country.
Russia and Turkey, as the protecting powers of the Syrian government and the opposition respectively, have agreed on a ceasefire for the long embattled region.
Since then, the violence has decreased. Nevertheless, attacks continue to occur, often killing civilians.
The conflict in Syria began in spring 2011 with protests against the government of ruler Bashar al-Assad (57). The government took violent action against them. The supporters of the head of state now control around two thirds of the country again.
A political solution to the conflict is still not in sight.