The city of Idlib and the province of Aleppo in northwestern Syria have once again become the targets of a brutal escalation in attacks by the Assad regime and its allies, resulting in a devastating toll on civilians and infrastructure. The recent onslaught has led to casualties, spreading fear and terror among the civilian population.
Sunday afternoon around 12:15 on December 17, the militias of the Assad regime stationed in Saraqib launched a salvo of rockets at the neighborhoods of Idlib, resulting in the injury of 15 civilians, including five children and a woman.
The attacks targeted the neighborhoods of Al-Sinaa, Wadi Al-Naseem, Sheikh Talth, Al-Bazaar Street, a civil transportation garage, and educational facilities, in addition to a missile falling in the middle of a camp for internally displaced people (IDP) east of the city, resulting in the injury of IDPs and damage to several tents. Russian reconnaissance drones, which often provide targeting for Assad’s ground forces, circled the skies above the area before and after the attacks increasing feelings of anxiety among the people.
The attacks which coincided with the end of classes for many elementary school students, prompted fear and panic among teachers, students, and parents alike and several videos on social media recorded the terror of hundreds of children as rockets rained down on the city.
The city of Darat Izza in western Aleppo was also targeted by the Assad regime’s attacks, which began around 6:00 in the evening killing seven civilians, including five in Darat Izza and two in the town of al-Abzimo. The attacks prompted calls for people to avoid certain areas due to the monitoring of civilian movement by regime forces.
According to the Syrian Salvation Government’s (SSG) Minister of Health, Dr. Hussein Bazar, there have been over 25 injuries among civilians in Idlib and western Aleppo because of the relentless attacks, including women and children.
In response to these attacks, the Fath al-Mubeen Operations Room (FMOR) has targeted the sites of the Assad regime’s militias in northern Aleppo with missile strikes, demonstrating a retaliatory stance against the relentless aggression.
Around 11:00 this morning, December 18 Russian jets launched four airstrikes on the eastern outskirts of Idlib City, the targets and extent of damage are unknown at this time.
