Last night, the village of Alata near the town of Armanaz and Sheikh Bahr in northern Syria’s Harem region of Idlib fell victim to a devastating series of Russian airstrikes. The strikes targeted residential areas and homes, resulting in a tragic loss of life. The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, reported that a family of five was killed in the attack, leaving only one child as the sole survivor.
The deliberate targeting of civilian homes has sparked outrage and condemnation, with one local journalist saying about the Assad regime and his Russian and Iranian allies, “They are cowards against Israel, yet cruel to the children in Idlib!” characterizing yesterday’s attacks as a cowardly act of “revenge” for Israel’s believed assassination of high ranking Iranian Republican Guard Corps (IRGC) senior military adviser Sayyed Razi, in Damascus.
The White Helmets detailed the heartbreaking aftermath of the airstrikes, recounting the rescue of the injured child from under the rubble and the recovery of the bodies of the deceased family members. The child, now orphaned and injured, faces an uncertain future, grappling with the profound loss of his parents and siblings. Safi Thalja, a volunteer in the White Helmets, expressed the deep emotional impact of witnessing such a tragedy, emphasizing the lasting trauma that the surviving child will carry with him.
Wael al-Alawi, another volunteer, shared the conflicting emotions experienced during the rescue efforts, highlighting the bittersweet feeling of saving the child while knowing the immense challenges he will face as he navigates life without his family. The volunteers’ accounts shed light on the human toll of these airstrikes, underscoring the long-lasting effects on the survivors and the responders who witness such devastation.
