Politics

Syrian Government Forces Bomb Northern Rebel Strongholds

U.N. envoy urging China to held end the conflict

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Government warplanes are bombarding opposition strongholds around Damascus and in the north, activists say.

Jets carried out strikes in the eastern Ghouta, outside the capital, and Maarat al-Numan, a town in Idlib province that straddles the Damascus-Aleppo motorway.

The attacks came a day after activists said more than 160 people were killed.

Meanwhile, UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi urged China's leaders to help end the violence following the failure of his Eid al-Adha ceasefire initiative.