At least 16 civilians, including six children, were killed today in regime air strikes that targeted several towns in central Syria, a monitoring group said.
11 civilians — three of them children — were killed when a barrage of barrel bombs hit the town of Al-Houla and neighbouring villages, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Barrel bombs are indiscriminate weapons typically dropped from helicopters. Their use in Syria’s war has come under fierce criticism by rights groups but the regime denies using them.
Five civilians, three of them children, were also killed today in government air strikes on the besieged town of Rastan, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.
