At least 17 killed in blast in Syria's Jisr al Shughour: rescue workers

At least 17 people were killed on Wednesday in an explosion in the centre of Jisr al Shughour, a militant-held city in northwestern Syria, a day after heavy Russian air strikes, rescue workers and residents said.

Several buildings collapsed as a result of the blast which shook the city in Idlib province, near a road between the coastal city of Latakia and the city of Aleppo.

The city has been a target of bombardment by the Russian air force and the Syrian army in recent weeks. Most of its inhabitants have fled to the safety of areas close to the Turkish border, residents and local officials say.