BALADI NEWS
At least 40 jihadist leaders were killed Saturday after a missile attack targeted their meeting in northwestern Syria, hours after a Russian-backed ceasefire came into effect, a war monitor said.
The missiles targeted leaders of jihadist groups and allied factions near the city of Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that it was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.
Air strikes on the jihadist-run Idlib region had stopped on Saturday, after the government agreed to a Russia-backed ceasefire following four months of deadly bombardment, the monitor said.
But "a missile attack targeted a meeting held by the leaders of Hurras al-Deen, Ansar al-Tawhid and other allied groups inside a training camp" near Idlib city, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory.
The attack killed "at least 40" jihadist leaders, the Britain based monitor said.
An AFP correspondent saw clouds of black smoke rising over the area after blasts rocked the jihadist stronghold.
Ambulances rushed to the site of the attack, which was closed off to journalists, he said.
It was not immediately clear if the missiles were launched from war planes or positions on the ground, the monitor said -- and responsibility for the attack also remained open to question.
Source: AFP.