Air strikes believed to have been carried out by Russian warplanes killed scores of people in the centre of the rebel-held city of Idlib in northwest Syria on Sunday, rescue workers and residents said.
They said at least six strikes had hit a busy market place in the heart of the city, several government buildings and residential areas. Rescue workers said they had confirmed 43 dead but that at least 30 more bodies had been retrieved that had still to be identified.
Meanwhile Iraqi military planes have dropped leaflets on Ramadi, asking residents to leave within 72 hours the western city which is under the control of Islamic State militants, state TV reported, citing a military statement.
It gave no further details but an army officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “It is an indication that a major military operation to retake the city centre will start soon.”
Last week Iraqi security forces said they had made advances on two fronts in Ramadi, clearing Islamic State militants from a key military command base and the sprawling neighbourhood of al-Taamim on the western rim of the city.
Iraqi intelligence estimates the number of Islamic State fighters that are entrenched in the centre of Ramadi at 250 to 300.