'Russian air raid' hit market in IS-held Syrian village

A suspected Russian air raid on a market in central Syria has left at least 11 civilians dead and dozens more injured.

The bombing took place during a livestock market in an Islamic State group held village in Hama province.

"The raids targeted a livestock market in the village of Oqayrabat, held by the Islamic State group in Hama province," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"They are probably Russian air strikes," he said.

Oqayrabat lies north-west of Palmyra, the ancient desert city that was recaptured by Russian-backed regime forces from IS on Wednesday. 

The road between the two had been often used by IS militants to travel between the provinces of Hama and Homs, where Palmyra lies. 

Abdel Rahman said the raids on the village were part of "new military operations by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally targeting jihadist positions in Hama province".

Syrian and Russian warplanes on Saturday were heavily bombing IS territories north and east of Palmyra, which has changed hands several times in Syria's nearly six-year war.

IS overran the city for the second time on 11 December, and a day later, 53 civilians were killed in a barrage of raids on Oqayrabat and other nearby villages, according to the Observatory. 

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) also raised fears at the time that chemical weapons may have been used in air strikes on Oqayrabat.