Russian air strikes kill 45, including rebel commander

Beirut – Russian air strikes in Syria killed 45 people, including a rebel commander, in an insurgent-held area of Latakia province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Tuesday.

Rami Abdulrahman, director of the UK-based Observatory, said the air strikes on Monday evening targeted the Jabal al-Akrad area of the coastal province.

He identified the rebel commander as chief of staff of the First Coastal Division group, a foreign-backed insurgent faction fighting under the banner of the “Free Syrian Army”.