Syrian air raids kill at least 12 in southern town

Beirut: Syrian activists say government airstrikes on a southern town have killed at least a dozen people, including children.

The local coordination committees, an activist collective, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights both reported the strikes on Sunday on Jassim in the southern province of Daraa.

The local coordination committees say the strikes were barrel bombs — large canisters packed with explosives and metal scraps — that cause massive damage on impact. It says at least 12 people were killed, including women and children.

The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of activists inside Syria, put the death toll at 13.

Both groups also reported government airstrikes on the nearby town of Nawa, which opposition forces captured earlier this month. There was no immediate word on casualties.