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Syrian planes bomb city of Homs, kill 2 children

Displaced young Syrians sit on a railing in front of heavily damaged buildings in the central Syrian city of Homs. LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images

Syrian activists say government airplanes have attacked a besieged neighbourhood in the central city of Homs, including with incendiary bombs that killed two children and left one badly burned.

Hayyan, a Homs resident whose parents remain in the al-Waer neighbourhood, said government warplanes launched 18 airstrikes Saturday in the area, the last two of which dropped incendiary bombs. Hayyan, a doctor who runs a volunteer group in the province, refused to be identified further due to concerns for his and his family’s safety.

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The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a brother and sister were killed in the airstrikes that left their bodies badly charred. Al-Waer is the last rebel-held area in Homs, Syria’s third largest city. It has been besieged for months with only intermittent international aid deliveries getting through.

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The escalation against the neighbourhood comes after the evacuation of Daraya, a Damascus suburb, following a deal struck with the government after a grueling bombing campaign and a tight siege.

WATCH: Two Syrian brothers hugging and crying after airstrike demolishes their neighborhood
Click to play video: 'Two Syrian brothers hugging and crying after airstrike demolishes their neighborhood'
Two Syrian brothers hugging and crying after airstrike demolishes their neighborhood

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