At least 13 people have been killed in a major US special forces raid in opposition-held north-western Syria, first responders and activists say. The Pentagon said the mission was “successful” and that there were no US casualties, but gave no other details. The White Helmets rescue service said it had found the bodies of six children and four women at a house in Atmeh. The target of the raid has not been identified, but jihadists linked to al-Qaeda are thought to live in the area. The US has accused al-Qaeda of using Syria, which has been devastated by almost 11 years of civil war, as a safe haven to rebuild, co-ordinate with its foreign affiliates, and plan external attacks. Several US helicopters reportedly landed in Atmeh, a town in Idlib province that is close to the border with Turkey and home to tens of thousands of displaced people, around midnight on Thursday (22:00 GMT on Wednesday). The special forces used loud speakers to warn women and children in Arabic to evacuate the area, according to an audio recording posted online. Local sources said the troops faced stiff resistance on the ground, and that they came under fire from heavy anti-aircraft guns mounted on vehicles.(BBC)…[+]