Syrian jet attacks farming village near Aleppo

The residents of Tel Rifaat panicked, with some trying to escape on motorbikes. Loud explosions rang out and black smoke billowed from an olive grove. A 12-wheel truck was engulfed in flames, according to a report by the Reuters news agency.

Aba Hassan, a rebel fighter from the Liwa al-Fatah brigade, told Reuters that jets were targeting rebel bases in the area.

“Four of our bases have been hit so far in and around Tel Rifaat,” he said.

The report describe six children and a crying woman as they flee their tiny home. One woman holds the Koran above her head, kissing it, and another bangs her head in her hands.

Guerilla fighters

Aleppo, which is Syria‘s commercial hub, has been the focus of clashes between troops loyal to President Assad and rebel forces for several weeks.

Government soldiers in the vicinity of Tel Rifaat are confronting guerrilla fighters hiding in farmhouses, not a traditional army.

Although the pilots seemed to know where the rebel bases were, their fire often appeared indiscriminate.