Suspected Russian Strikes Hit Near Turkish Border

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Russian warplanes have launched several air strikes in the Syrian province of Latakia near the Turkish border, including one that reportedly hit near a hospital, activists have told Al Jazeera. No casualties were reported in Saturday’s strike at the hospital in the village of Barnas, in Syria’s north east. Aljazeera has more:

“Two rockets fell near the hospital. Barnas hospital suffered material damage only,” Ahmad Haj Bakri, an activist in Latakia told Al Jazeera. The hospital was run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) before it was handed over to local medical groups more than a year ago. An MSF official confirmed to Al Jazeera that the hospital was hit without assigning responsibility to any side.

“We understand that one of the rockets hit about 50 metres away from the hospital and damaged the building. The hospital was evacuated and no casualties reported,” Yazan al-Saadi, a regional MSF communication officer, told Al Jazeera.

The attack came amid accusations by Western officials and activists on the ground that many of Moscow’s targets since the beginning of its campain on Wednesday were civilian, a claim that Moscow denies.