In the ongoing struggle for Syria’s future, revolutionary factions remain engaged in fierce battles against the Assad regime and its foreign backers, Russia and Iran. The Repelling the Aggression campaign to liberate occupied territories and protect civilian populations continues to rage across the cities and villages of Aleppo and Hama. Meanwhile, Assad’s relentless assaults, bolstered by Russian air power continue to target not the revolutionaries or their convoys, but the towns, villages, and cities across Syria, showing a disregard for civilian lives in its bid to punish the people and maintain control.
The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, described the ongoing assaults as the most violent in the last four days. They reported that attacks by regime and Russian forces killed 31 civilians, including 10 children and 4 women, and injured 113 others, including 44 children and 22 women, between Wednesday and Saturday.
The toll rose sharply today, Sunday, December 1, as at least eight Russian airstrikes targeted the city of Idlib, killing four civilians and wounding 54 others, including 25 children and 16 women. The city of Idlib has borne the brunt of today’s attacks. Regime warplanes launched consecutive airstrikes targeting residential neighborhoods, displaced persons’ camps, health facilities, and markets. Among the victims was a volunteer from the White Helmets, Sulaiman Sulaiman, who was killed while performing rescue operations.
Rescuers reported scenes of chaos and fear as airstrikes turned densely populated civilian areas into disaster zones. Medical facilities were overwhelmed with injured civilians, many of whom suffered critical injuries. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams continue to search for survivors.
Artillery shelling by regime forces also struck the town of Freika and the city of Jisr al-Shughour in western Idlib, killing one civilian and injuring three others. In Kansafra, in southern Idlib, another civilian was killed in artillery strikes. Missile attacks in Jisr al-Shughour caused additional injuries, while warplanes carried out air raids on the outskirts of Idlib city.
These attacks have also devastated Aleppo province. The village of Aran, near Tadif, was struck by airstrikes on Saturday, killing three civilians, including a woman and a child, and injuring six others. In Marea, north of Aleppo, airstrikes destroyed residential buildings, trapping civilians under rubble. The White Helmets rescued five members of one family, including four children and a woman, but a second woman was injured in the same attack.
Artillery and missile shelling by regime forces and their Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) allies targeted residential neighborhoods in Tadif and Al-Bab. A pharmaceutical factory in Al-Mansoura village, west of Aleppo, was also hit, causing a massive fire. Additional shelling struck neighborhoods in the Green Valley near Qabasin.
In the city of Aleppo, regime and Russian airstrikes committed a massacre in a densely populated area yesterday afternoon. The exact death toll remains unclear, but dozens of civilians were reportedly injured in the attack.
Since the start of this year, civil defense services have responded to 922 attacks by regime and Russian forces in northwestern Syria. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of 85 civilians, including 21 children, and injuries to 416 others, including 158 children and 56 women.
The escalation has seen airstrikes targeting civilian infrastructure, including camps for displaced persons, hospitals, schools, and markets. The regime and Russia’s strategy of indiscriminate bombardment have created a climate of fear, complicating humanitarian efforts.
The White Helmets emphasized the deliberate nature of these attacks, stating that “new massacres are being committed every day,” and decrying the absence of international accountability for the perpetrators.
The rescue group warned that the continued escalation threatens to worsen an already dire situation, with thousands of civilians at risk. Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called on the international community to intervene and hold the Assad regime and Russia accountable for their violations of international law.
In contrast to the Assad regime and Russia’s frequent targeting of civilian areas, revolutionary forces under the Command of Military Operations (CMO) have concentrated their efforts on military objectives. Their operations focus on regime installations, supply lines, and military convoys while avoiding civilian infrastructure. Even in the face of repeated attacks on their own communities, they have refrained from retaliating against civilian areas.
As the conflict persists, the difference in conduct between the two sides becomes increasingly evident. Revolutionary forces continue to restrict their strikes to military targets, while the international community’s calls for justice and accountability grow, though meaningful action remains limited.
