The Assad regime, backed by Russian forces, has escalated attacks on civilian areas in northwestern Syria, with strikes intensifying this past week across Idlib and Hama provinces, according to local reports. The bombings, which are increasingly targeting civilians and vital infrastructure, have continued unabated, severely affecting civilian life and essential services in liberated areas controlled by revolutionary forces.
On Thursday evening, Russian warplanes launched airstrikes in Jabal al-Zawiya, Idlib, and the Ghab Plain in Hama, according to Syria TV correspondents. The attacks targeted areas near the towns of Kansafra, Deir Sunbul, and Sarmaniyah, which have been under near-daily shelling from the Assad regime and Russia throughout 2024. The observatory group Abu Amin 80, which monitors field developments, reported an increase in Russian reconnaissance flights in northwestern Syria, prompting civilians to limit movement to avoid further danger.
This year alone, nearly 400 attacks by the Assad regime and Russian forces have struck northwestern Syria, with civilian areas facing artillery, missile, drone, and air attacks, according to the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets. The civil defense agency recorded 392 attacks from January to June, which killed 38 people – including 13 children and six women – and injured 150 others. The recent strikes have compounded instability in the region, disrupting agriculture, education, and commerce, and pushing communities toward further displacement.
On Friday, October 25, Assad regime forces targeted the city of Atarib in Aleppo’s western countryside, using suicide drones to target civilians working in olive fields. Three civilians, including a 9-year-old girl, were injured. Maryam Hamoud Al-Youssef suffered shrapnel wounds to her head and body and was transferred to Bab al-Hawa Hospital for emergency care. A separate drone strike targeted a civilian vehicle in Kafr Ammah, also in western Aleppo, causing material damage.
The Syrian Civil Defense has condemned the use of suicide drones, describing it as a systematic attempt to destabilize daily life and intimidate civilians. “The regime’s targeted attacks with suicide drones threaten the lives of civilians and curtail their activities, impacting agricultural lands and residential areas in Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama,” the Civil Defense said in a statement.
Local sources and journalists reported a series of recent missile attacks on Al-Bab in Aleppo province, originating from the regime and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) areas. This attack injured seven people, including four women and a child. Additionally, on October 23, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) issued a report accusing the Russian military of killing 11 civilians in a separate airstrike on Idlib.
The Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) in Idlib described these intensified attacks as “systematic terrorism against defenseless civilians,” emphasizing the increased suffering and pressure on communities near the Turkish border. The SSG cited over 25 airstrikes on populated areas around Idlib during a visit by a UN delegation earlier this month, suggesting a deliberate escalation by the Assad regime and its allies.
The Civil Defense’s mid-year report documented 293 regime artillery strikes, 27 rocket attacks, seven air raids, and three incendiary weapon attacks since January, with extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, and hospitals. Ongoing attacks have devastated basic resources, disrupting agricultural production and impacting the livelihoods of thousands who rely on the land.
Analysts suggest that the escalation could prompt further displacement and overcrowding at the Turkish border, where thousands have already sought refuge from the continued violence. International organizations, like the UN, and regional leaders have repeatedly called for an end to the assaults on civilians, but the strikes continue unabated, adding to the grim humanitarian crisis in Syria’s northwestern region.
The continuous attacks underscore a pattern of intensifying violence against Syria’s liberated territories, and as the year progresses, civilians in Idlib and surrounding areas remain at high risk amid ongoing threats of a new Assad regime offensive backed by Russian forces.
