Assad forces kill many civilians in an attack on northwestern Syria

Assad regime forces have targetted a busy marketplace in Syria's northwestern town of Ariha, killing at least 11 civilians, according to media reports. 

Medical sources in the town told Anadolu news agency that at least 35 civilians were also injured in Wednesday's attack. 

An AFP reporter on the ground said at least five people succumbed to their injuries as first responders tended to the injured amidst the chaos that filled the streets of Ariha.

About 15-kilometres away from the rebel-controlled Idlib province, Ariha came under the shelling soon after the Assad regime claimed that a roadside bombing on Wednesday morning killed 13 military personnel in Damascus. 

AFP reported that schoolchildren were among the dead in Ariha, and the death toll is likely to rise. 

READ MORE: Syrian regime shelling in Idlib kills several civilians, including children

Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.

Since Ariha falls under the Idlib province, it becomes vulnerable to attacks by regime forces. Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia. The area has been the subject of multiple cease-fire understandings, which have frequently been violated by the Syrian regime and its allies.