Russian warplanes carried out air strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft on Wednesday, a Syrian security source told AFP.

“Russian and Syrian airplanes carried out numerous strikes today against terrorist positions in Hama, Homs and Latakia provinces,” the source said.

The source said the strikes hit several areas in central Homs and Hama provinces, as well as the coastal regime stronghold of Latakia province.

Earlier, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, reported at least 27 civilians had been killed in air strikes in Homs province.

The group said the strikes hit Rastan, Talbisseh and Zaafarani in Homs, while the security source said the Russian strikes had hit Rastan and Talbisseh.

Control of Homs province is mostly divided between Syria’s regime and the Islamic State group, which holds the famed city of Palmyra and much of the area east of it.

But none of the areas reportedly targeted by Russian strikes in any of the three provinces is known to have an IS presence.

The areas struck in Homs are mostly controlled by Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, while those hit in Latakia are mostly controlled by a coalition known as the Army of Conquest, which includes Al-Nusra.

The areas targeted in Hama are controlled mostly by Islamist and moderate rebel groups.