The strike 'appeared to have been carried out by Syrian government ally Russia' [Getty]

The strike hit the town of Khan Sheikun, in the south of the province, leaving at least seven children and two pregnant women dead.

At least seven children and two pregnant women were killed in an airstrike on Syria's rebel stronghold province of Idlib on Tuesday, a monitor said.

The strike, which hit the town of Khan Sheikun, in the south of the province, appeared to have been carried out by Syrian government ally Russia, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

The Britain-based group, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information, says it determines what planes carried out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved.

Russia began its air campaign in support of the government in September 2015, saying it was targeting "terrorists."

"The strike hit a street where children were playing. Three of the dead children were from one family and were visiting their grandfather," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said

He said the dead children were four girls and three boys, but did not immediately have each of their ages.

In late October, airstrikes targeted a school in Idlib killing at least 22 children. UNICEF said the attack may have been the deadliest attack on a school since Syria’s conflict began nearly six years ago.

The strike which struck a school complex in the village of Hass around midday on October 26 as children gathered outside preparing to return home.

The Syrian Civil Defence, or White Helmets, said that the attack constituted a “double tap” where a warplane carries out an initial bombing raid on a target, and then waits for either signs of survivors, or rescue workers to arrive, before executing a second, or more, consequent attacks.



Idlib province is controlled by the Army of Conquest, an alliance of rebel groups and extremists including the Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from al-Nusra Front after breaking off ties with al-Qaeda earlier this year.