Russian air strikes kill 45, including rebel commander

A frame grab taken from footage released by Russia's Defence Ministry on Monday, shows what Russia says is an explosion after airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force on an ammunition depot to the west of Jubb al-zarus in Hama province, Syria. Russian air strikes killed 45 people, including a rebel commander, in an insurgent-held area of Latakia province in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Tuesday.

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 U.K.-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.”