Russian strike hits Syrian base of U.S.-trained rebels: monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russian warplanes struck a base in northwest Syria on Friday belonging to a rebel group that has received U.S. training, a monitoring group said. The jets hit the Division 13 group's base near the village of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province, wounding fighters and causing damage, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Division 13's Facebook page confirmed the strikes, saying the site had been totally destroyed and several fighters killed. The non-Islamist insurgent group says it has received training under a U.S.-led program. Russia began air strikes in support of ally President Bashar al-Assad 10 days ago. Moscow says it is targeting Islamic State, but the campaign appears to have mainly struck other rebel groups including ones backed by the United States. Insurgent groups advanced against Assad's forces earlier this year, putting pressure on his coastal heartland in the west of the country. Russian air strikes have been focused on some of the areas that were captured by rebels. (Reporting by John Davison; Editing by Andrew Heavens)