The head and several leaders of one of Syria's most powerful rebel groups, Jaysh al-Islam, have been killed in an air strike east of Damascus, reports.
Founder Zahroun Alloush, 44, was among those killed when rockets hit a meeting place, rebels and the Syrian army said.
The Saudi-backed Islamist group is one of the biggest factions and is dominant in the Eastern Ghouta countryside.
It recently joined an opposition summit in Riyadh which produced a framework for peace talks with the government.
Ten rockets struck as Jaysh al-Islam commanders met, Saudi-funded al-Arabiya TV reported. The group's deputy leader was also killed, al-Arabiya said.
In a statement carried by state television, Syria's army command said it had conducted the "special operation" that killed Alloush, reported AFP news agency.
However, some activists said it was a Russian air strike, while other sources suggested the Syrian air force had conducted the strike using Russian missiles.
Analysts called it a severe blow for rebel forces and a threat to the nascent efforts to find a political resolution.
Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been waging an air campaign in Syria since the end of September.
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