DAMASCUS, Syria, Sept 1 (NNN-SANA) – At least 50 rebels, mainly commanders, were killed on Saturday, by U.S.-led airstrikes, that targeted a meeting of rebel commanders, in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, the meeting grouped commanders of the Hurras al-Deen and Ansar al-Tawhid groups, both allied with the al-Qaeda.
It said, the death toll exceeds 50, noting that more bodies are being discovered.
The Britain-based watchdog group said, the U.S.-led coalition targeted the meeting with at least seven highly explosive missiles.
The U.S. Central Command confirmed that it had attacked leaders of al-Qaeda in Idlib province, noting that, the operation had targeted those “responsible for attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians.”
The U.S. airstrikes come, as a cease-fire was declared by the Syrian army on Friday and went into effect Saturday.
The new cease-fire aims at halting the fighting in Idlib, between the Syrian army and the al-Qaeda-linked groups.
