Assad regime airstrikes kill 13 in western Syria

By Halit Suleyman

Al-RASTAN, Syria

Thirteen civilians, all members of the same family, were killed by airstrikes carried out by the Assad regime on Wednesday in Syria’s western Homs province, according to local sources.

Local civil defense officials told Anadolu Agency that regime warplanes had struck a residential area of Al-Rastan, a city located in northern Homs.

Speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media, the same sources said that women and children had been among those killed, while scores of others had been injured by the strikes.

For the last year and a half, Al-Rastan -- located between the cities of Homs and Hama -- has remained under siege by regime forces, which have prevented humanitarian aid convoys from entering the city.

As a result of the ongoing siege, local residents now face severe hardships, including chronic water and electricity shortages.