Syria accuses Turkish airstrikes of killing 150 in Aleppo

A man rides a bicycle near damaged ground in the rebel held besieged al-Sukkari neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria October 19, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

DAMASCUS -- The Syrian army on Thursday accused Turkish airstrikes of killing 150 people in the countryside of the northern province of Aleppo a day earlier, state news agency SANA reported.

The general command of the Syrian army said the Turkish airstrikes on towns and villages in the northern countryside of Aleppo had targeted "innocent people" and constituted a "dangerous development that will further complicate the situation."

Meanwhile, the army threatened to down any Turkish plane that would violate the Syrian airspace.

"Any further violation to the Syrian airspace by the Turkish warplanes will be dealt with by downing them with all possible means," the statement said.

The Turkish air forces and tanks have been backing several rebel groups in an operation dubbed the Euphrates Shield, which aims primarily at thwarting the advance of the Kurdish forces near the Turkish borders, and dislodge the Islamic State (IS) group from the areas they hold in northern Syria.