Russian warplanes and Assad regime forces have intensified their bombing campaign across northern Syria, killing and wounding dozens of civilians in what revolutionary leaders describe as acts of hatred and spite. The return to heavy bombardment of Aleppo – a city devastated nearly a decade ago by similar airstrikes – has drawn sharp condemnation from local officials and humanitarian organizations.
On Saturday, Russian warplanes conducted airstrikes on Al-Basel Roundabout in Aleppo city, leaving many civilians dead or injured. The attacks echoed the city’s darkest days of relentless bombing during the height of Syria’s conflict nearly a decade ago.
Muhammad Al-Omar, Minister of Media for the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), condemned the massacre, calling it a continuation of the regime’s criminal disregard for Syrian lives. “The regime’s airstrike on the Basil Roundabout exposes their false claims of protecting civilians,” Al-Omar said. He accused the Assad regime of using propaganda to obscure its defeats while continuing vengeful attacks on innocent people.
The bombing in Aleppo follows the regime and Russia’s devastating strikes across northern Syria, which have escalated in tandem with recent advances by revolutionary forces on the ground. The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, reported that over the past three days, 24 civilians, including seven children and three women, were killed, while 95 others were injured, including 36 children and 17 women, due to regime and Russian bombings.
Friday’s airstrikes alone resulted in six deaths and 41 injuries. The city of Idlib bore the brunt of the attacks, with four civilians killed and 25 others injured, including eight children and six women. Attacks ignited a massive fire at a gas station, further endangering lives and livelihoods.
In the village of Farkia, south of Idlib, airstrikes injured seven civilians, including six children from a single family. Nearby, the village of Sarja was also hit, leaving four civilians injured, including a child.
The city of Atarib in western Aleppo and Taduf in its eastern countryside also faced artillery and airstrikes, leaving multiple civilians, including children, injured. Night raids targeted the city of Marea, where rescue teams saved five family members, including four children, trapped under rubble after an airstrike destroyed their home.
In Hazwan, east of Aleppo, a Saturday morning airstrike injured a child and two women from the same family. Other attacks in Taduf and Al-Bab targeted residential neighborhoods, though initial reports indicated property damage without casualties.
Humanitarian groups and local officials describe the recent escalation as a calculated effort by Assad and Russia to punish civilians. “This is not about military strategy; it’s about inflicting suffering,” an SSG spokesperson said. The targeting of civilian homes, gas stations, schools, and even poultry farms underscores the indiscriminate nature of the strikes.
For the people of Aleppo, the return of airstrikes has reopened old wounds, reminding the world of the brutal tactics used to crush the city nearly a decade ago. As the bombings intensify, Syrians are once again pleading for protection and justice in a conflict that shows no sign of abating.
