Syrian airstrikes kill 26 in IS-held Palmyra city

Syrian warplanes unleashed a wave of deadly airstrikes on the Islamic State-held town of Palmyra in central Syria on Friday, killing at least 15 and wounding many more, activists said, in some of the heaviest bombardment since the extremist group seized the ancient town May 10.

The death toll included 12 members of the jihadist group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, after reporting earlier that government forces had launched at least 25 air strikes on the city.

It came a day after Syrian jets heavily bombed Islamic State’s bastion in the north, the city of Raqqa.

“There is news about a large number of martyrs and wounded”, it said. The Syrians have occasionally targeted the city as well, but Syrian government airstrikes typically concentrate on opposition-held areas of the country.

More than 250,000 people have died in Syria’s civil war, according to United Nations officials.

In an interview with Russian media on Wednesday, President Assad said that the US-led worldwide coalition had failed as the militant group expanded its operations in the country despite the air campaign.

“Our focus remains on destroying ISIL (Islamic State militants) and also on a political settlement with respect to Syria, which we believe can not be achieved with the long-term presence of Assad”, he told reporters.

On Thursday, government air strikes on Raqqa city, Daesh’s de facto capital of a “caliphate” it has declared straddling Syria and Iraq, killed 18 people, including militants and civilians.

Al-Moallem said Syria will study the “ideas” put forward by Mistura and will take the “adequate stance toward his initiative”.