At least 18 dead in airstrikes in northwest Syria

At least 18 people, including women and children, were killed in airstrikes on areas in the last major rebel stronghold in northwest Syria on Saturday. Conflicting casualty figures are common in the immediate aftermath of violence in Syria, where an eight-year conflict has killed about 400,000 people, wounded more than a million and displaced half the country's prewar population.

Syrian troops launched a four-month offensive earlier this year on Idlib, which is dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants. A fragile cease-fire halted the government advance in late August but has been repeatedly violated in recent weeks. The airstrikes on Idlib province have intensified over the past few weeks as the government appears to be preparing for an offensive on rebel-held areas east of the province to secure the main highway that links Damascus with the northern city of Aleppo.