A 21-year-old woman was killed, and three civilians, including her aunt, were injured Saturday evening when Assad regime forces launched a barrage of artillery and rockets on residential neighborhoods in the town of Taftanaz, in Idlib’s eastern countryside. The assault is the latest in an ongoing campaign of violence targeting civilians, which humanitarian organizations have warned could lead to a catastrophic humanitarian disaster.
The victim, identified as Sarah Muhammad Najjar, had been displaced from her hometown of Saraqib and recently celebrated completing the memorization of the Holy Quran. The first wave of shelling claimed her life, while a second round, launched after civilians gathered to assist the injured, left her aunt and two others wounded.
The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, confirmed the attacks, noting their teams had rushed the injured to a local hospital and ensured there were no further casualties. “This attack epitomizes the indiscriminate violence the regime continues to unleash on civilians,” read a report from the group.
The strikes on Taftanaz, carried out by regime forces and Hezbollah-backed militias, mark a grim continuation of escalating violence in northwestern Syria. Earlier in the day, an elderly man was injured when an explosive-laden drone targeted his vehicle as he worked on farmland in the Al-Wasata area of Aleppo’s western countryside.
These attacks are part of a systemic campaign by Assad regime forces, Russia, and Iranian militias that has devastated villages near the contact lines, forcing thousands of families to flee their homes. The Syrian Civil Defense has reported multiple incidents of artillery and drone strikes, particularly in towns like Taftanaz, Maarat al-Naasan, and Al-Nayrab.
The organization warned that these attacks not only cause civilian casualties but also exacerbate the ongoing displacement crisis as winter approaches. The Syrian Civil Defense has called on the UN and global human rights organizations to hold the Assad regime and its allies accountable for their ongoing violations of international law. More than 5 million civilians in northwestern Syria remain at risk as the regime intensifies its campaign against the liberated areas.
“This continuous targeting of civilians and humanitarian workers is a blatant disregard for international laws and human rights,” the White Helmets said, emphasizing the need for effective measures to deter further aggression.
As northwestern Syria braces for harsher winter conditions, families like those in Taftanaz face impossible choices: endure relentless shelling or seek refuge in overcrowded and under-resourced camps near the Turkish border.
For Sarah Muhammad Najjar, however, the violence came too soon and too cruelly, cutting short a life filled with promise and devotion. Her death, like those of countless others, is a testament to the human cost of a war that continues to rage with no end in sight.
