Airstrike on Rebel-held Syrian Town Kills at Least 9 Civilians

Opposition activists in northwestern Syria say at least nine civilians were killed in a Monday-morning air strike on the village of Maaret al-Numan in Idlib Province, with at least 13 more left wounded. The village, like much of the northwestern province, is still held by rebels battling the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been locked in a civil war since 2011. The province has seen a spike in fighting in recent months, with Assad having been able to send more troops to the region after overcoming rebel pockets elsewhere. Numerous airstrikes in the past have been blamed on Russian warplanes assisting Syrian troops.