An airstrike conducted early Sunday on a bustling vegetable market in northwestern Syria has resulted in the deaths of at least nine individuals, according to local first responders and activists.

Sources suggest that Russia, a prominent supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad, was responsible for the strike, which targeted the strategic opposition-held town of Jisr al-Shughur near the Turkish border.

The incident occurred just a day after a mercenary group aligned with Russia briefly rebelled against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition war monitor, and various activists have corroborated the claims, while both Syria and Russia have refrained from commenting on the airstrike.

Damascus maintains that such strikes in the northwest province primarily aim to target armed insurgent groups.

The White Helmets, a civil defense organization operating in opposition-held northwestern Syria, has reported that over 30 people were wounded in the attack. They anticipate that the death toll will rise, citing critical injuries leading to fatalities even after victims have reached the hospital.

Ahmad Yaziji of the White Helmets informed The Associated Press that the strike specifically targeted the main vegetable market, where farmers from across northern Syria gather.

In response to the emergency, farmers promptly transported the wounded to hospitals using bloodied vegetable trucks, while activists urgently appealed for blood donations. The northwestern region of Syria is largely controlled by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al Sham and Turkish-backed forces.

This incident underscores the ongoing volatility and humanitarian crisis prevailing in Syria, particularly in the war-torn northwest region. The international community continues to express concern over the escalating violence and loss of civilian lives in the conflict-ridden country.