152,000 People Flee Idlib, Syria

War has reignited in Idlib, located in northwestern Syria. Military aircraft have resumed bombing these areas. In the span of one week, more than 152,000 people have abandoned the conflict-torn regions of Idlib.

David Swanson, spokesperson for the United Nations humanitarian and relief organization, stated that in the course of one week, more than 152,000 residents of Idlib and Aleppo provinces have left their homes. Swanson also warned about the bombing of civilian areas and non-military infrastructure in Idlib by Syrian military aircraft.

The spokesperson for the UN humanitarian and relief organization stated that as a result of these attacks, hundreds of civilians were killed and wounded, and schools and hospitals were heavily bombed in these attacks.

Idlib Ceasefire Violations

Latest reports indicate that air strikes by Russian fighter jets and Syrian government forces on Idlib areas have expanded and continue. Russia is one of Bashar Assad’s supporters.

According to the Syrian Human Rights Observatory, Russian fighter jet attacks have been the worst attacks in recent months, and Bashar Assad’s forces have launched ground assaults on these areas for the first time.

Turkey: Iranian Forces Also Attacked

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency reported that despite the Sochi agreement between Turkey and Russia in September 2018, the Assad regime and its supporters have continued their attacks on the de-escalation zone in Idlib.

Anadolu writes that more than 330 schools in the Idlib region have been closed, and “forces affiliated with Bashar Assad’s regime and terrorist groups backed by Iran” in violation of the agreement related to the Idlib de-escalation zone, have taken control of the village of Al-Jinabirah and the Osman Heights, which was considered a demilitarized zone after the Turkey-Russia agreement.

According to Anadolu, the ground assault on the de-escalation zone in Idlib was also carried out by “the Assad regime forces and terrorist groups backed by Iran.”

The news agency writes that Russia, as a supporting country of the Assad regime, is obligated to prevent attacks by this regime.

Idlib is the last major stronghold of Assad opponents in Syria. Three million people live in this province, of which 1.4 million are Syrian war refugees. The number of children in Idlib is estimated at around one million.

Eight years have passed since the Syrian war. The Idlib region is the last remnant of Syrian rebels. Approximately three million civilians live there, with half of them being refugees from other areas. This region is largely controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a quasi-military group close to al-Qaeda. Syria and Russia argue they are fighting extremists.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, has called on both warring parties to respect the ceasefire agreement concluded in September 2018.

Source: DW