Russian military denies conducting airstrikes in Syria’s Idlib on June 7

The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday denied that its war planes carried out airstrikes in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province that reportedly killed dozens of people. All reports by the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and White Helmets about the alleged attack by Russian aircraft in the evening of June 7 near the settlement of Zardan in the province of Idlib are untrue, the ministry said. According to available information, fierce fighting in that area took place in the past 24 hours between a large group of the Nusra Front terrorist organization and opposition fighters from Jaysh al-Ahrar, according to the statement. The fighting involved heavy artillery fire, the Russian military said.