Near Daily Russian and Assad Regime Drone Attacks Devastate Northern Syria

Civilians in northern Syria faced a harrowing day as nearly 20 attacks by “suicide drones” unleashed devastation across villages in the Idlib countryside on Monday. The massive onslaught by Russian and Assad regime forces has caused significant losses in civilian property, particularly targeting vehicles and infrastructure.

In a coordinated strike, regime forces launched bomb-laden drones on the town of Maarzaf with ten aircraft, the village of Al-Mantaf with four aircraft, and the village of Al-Bureij with three aircraft. The attacks, which occurred simultaneously, resulted in extensive damage, with the Syrian Civil Defense documenting that seven civilian vehicles were damaged.

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, reported that the drones targeted four small private cars, a truck, a passenger car, and a bulldozer. Fortunately, some of the drones did not reach their intended targets, mitigating potential further damage.

Military observatories in the Idlib countryside have provided guidelines to help civilians reduce the dangers of these bomb-laden drones. Such as using roads between valleys or those that naturally obstruct aircraft signals, paying attention to the loud sounds of approaching drones, staying away from vehicles when drones are detected, and taking shelter for up to 20 minutes—the estimated battery life of the drones.

The Syria Response Coordinators team has recorded 127 attacks involving 512 bomb-laden drones in recent months. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of 22 civilians and injuries to 47 others, including women and children. The White Helmets responded to 392 attacks by regime forces, Russia, and loyalist militias in the first half of 2024, leading to the deaths of 38 civilians, including 13 children and six women, and injuring 150 others.

The attacks have also caused a significant number of fires, with the Civil Defense extinguishing 2,213 fires in the first half of 2024. These fires have resulted in the deaths of four civilians and injuries to 93 others.

The ongoing conflict has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian conditions in northwestern Syria. Civil defense teams have been overwhelmed by the need to respond to multiple crises, including storms and floods that have displaced thousands of civilians living in makeshift camps.

The relentless drone attacks by Russian and Assad regime forces – which some have linked to ongoing Turkish normalization efforts – continue to inflict severe damage on the civilian population in northern Syria. This increasing use of bomb-laden drones represents a new and deadly tactic in the ongoing conflict, causing widespread destruction and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.