Strikes on northern Syrian city kill at least 32

Russian warplanes are said to have bombed a rebel-held city in northern Syria, killing scores of people.

A marketplace, homes and official buildings were all hit, reports say. It said the dead included fighters.

A civil defence worker said bodies were still being pulled from the rubble.

Russia has been hitting ground targets in Syria since the last week of September, at the behest of President Bashar Assad, a Russian ally.

Residents said they distinguish Russian planes that fly at high altitudes in sorties from Syrian helicopters, which mainly drop indiscriminate barrel bombs at much lower heights. While Moscow continues to refer to the air strikes as a campaign against militant group Islamic State (ISIS), opposition groups-as well as the U.S., U.K., France and others-have claimed that the air strikes appear to be primarily focused on Assad opponents.

In March, insurgents seized arms depots in Khan Tuman after several days of fighting.

On the political front, the Arab League welcomed the roadmap to end the Syrian war and vowed to support worldwide efforts to implement a ceasefire.

[However], 91 percent of up to 4,000 air raids they have carried out so far have targeted rebels.

The blast, which went off near the literature department of the Damascus university, wounded at least 10 people, according to Syrian state television.

“The unanimous adoption of the U.N. Security Council resolution offers a chance for the first time to find a serious solution to the crisis in Syria”, said Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi.