Syrian war
AFP

Around 12 civilians were killed by a militant mortar in a government-occupied southern Aleppo region in Syria, state news SANA reported. Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), the former Al-Qaeda affiliate, was held responsible for the attack.

According to reports, HTS positioned in Aleppo's western direction of Khan Touman and al-Rashedin fired several rocket shells on civilians houses in al-Wadeshi village in Aleppo's southern countryside on Sunday, June 16.

It is reported that the attacks struck a wedding celebration. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that out of the 12 civilian casualties, four were children and 15 were injured and taken to the nearby hospital.

The Observatory also reported that around 35 combatants and 10 civilians were killed on Saturday, June 15, when clashes and airstrikes by Russia backed regime forces in Hama province.

The Syrian government and Russia have upped their bombardment of the region since late April, killing nearly 400 civilians, according to the Observatory.

The region has witnessed an increase in bombardment by the Syrian government and Russia, killing nearly 400 civilians since April. 

Around 370,000 Syrians have been killed, including 112,000 civilians, and millions displaced since the conflict began in 2011, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights