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Syria crisis: Government air strike near school outside Aleppo kills seven

The strike hit the Saif al-Dawla neighbourhood in Aleppo, reportedly claiming the lives of four children

Sunday 03 May 2015 15:37 EDT
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A man protects himself from dust following a reported barrel bomb attack by Syrian pro-government forces in Aleppo
A man protects himself from dust following a reported barrel bomb attack by Syrian pro-government forces in Aleppo (Getty)

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A Syrian government air raid that struck near a school in the northern city of Aleppo killed at least seven people including children, activist groups said.

The strike, reported to have involved the use of barrel bombs, hit the Saif al-Dawla neighbourhood in Aleppo, claiming the lives of four children according the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The attack by the regime of Bashar al-Assad followed hard on the heels of an air strike by US-led forces in Aleppo province on Friday that is now believed to have killed 52 people, including seven children, according to the same group.

US and Arab forces have been carrying out almost daily air raids against extreme Islamists in Syria such as Isis since last September, and US-led forces are also targeting the group in Iraq.

The Observatory for Human Rights said the US air raid on Friday had mistakenly struck civilians in a village on the banks of the Euphrates River in Aleppo, killing members of at least six families. The group said at least 13 people remained missing. The US military it could not confirm the civilian deaths in Friday’s attack, but was looking into the allegation.

Outside the capital, meanwhile, heavy fighting raged in and around the town of Maydaa between Syrian government forces and rebels. Activists say Maydaa is a key supply route out of the sprawling rural area known as eastern Ghouta, which has long been under government siege.

AP; REUTERS

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