A suspected Russian air strike on a home in the countryside near the central city of Homs has killed 48 people from a single family, Syrian activists said.

The bomb shelter where the family was hiding was hit by a rocket in the western city of Homs, activists told Al Jazeera on Sunday.

Moscow has been launching air strikes in the area in addition to various other regions of the country.

The targets were hit in Hama, Idlib, Latakia, Damascus, and Aleppo regions, the statement said.

In another development on Saturday, Syrian regime forces edged forward in the northern province of Aleppo with air cover from Russian warplanes, but faced fierce resistance from opposition forces in the country's center.

Since Moscow began its air campaign in support of its Damascus ally on September 30, the army and its allies have launched four ground offensives against opposition forces in northern and central Syria.

PHOTO CAPTION

A protester holds a banner during an anti-war rally in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015.

Al-Jazeera