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Scores of civilians killed in airstrikes on Idlib province town amid Syrian army reversals

An observer group says at least 60 civilians were killed and wounded in Sunday's bombardment of Darkoush, in the embattled Idlib province, where the Syrian army has suffered a series of recent reversals.

By Fred Lambert

DARKOUSH, Syria, April 26 (UPI) -- Syrian government airstrikes on a town near the Turkish border killed and wounded dozens of civilians on Sunday, according to activist groups.

The strikes hit Darkoush, a town in Idlib province, where the Syrian army has suffered a series of recent setbacks from an offensive by allied Islamist factions, including al-Qaida's Nusra Front.

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At least 60 civilians were killed and wounded in the bombardment, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which gets information from multiple sources on the ground in Syria.

Thirty-four people died in the strikes, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria said on its Facebook page.

The incident comes as the Syrian army is rapidly losing ground to rebel forces in Idlib province. Last month, rebel forces captured the city of Idlib, and on Saturday, the strategic town of Jisr al-Shughour fell to Islamist militants as government forces reoriented outside the town and began hitting rebel positions with air attacks.

SOHR reported 20 airstrikes in the center of Jisr al-Shughour on Sunday, and one on Saturday that killed up to 10 people.

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Jisr al-Shughour was the last major town held by government forces in Idlib province. The Syrian military now holds only a few towns and bases in the province as heavy fighting continues.

The capture of Idlib province could open the door to an assault on Lakatia province, home to the Alawite minority of which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a part.

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