The Assad regime forces and Russian forces continue to bomb towns and villages in the ‘de-escalation zone’ in northwestern Syria, mainly targeting the infrastructure, healthcare facilities, and educational facilities, and services institutions.
The United Nations said it had recorded 29 attacks on 25 health facilities, transport and personnel, as well as 45 attacks on schools in northwestern Syria since the end of April, the latest including the second attack in two months on an underground hospital in the town of Kafranbel on Thursday.
“The attacks happened despite the fact that the coordinates of this hospital had previously been shared with the parties to the conflict in a deliberate, carefully planned effort to prevent any attacks on it,” a UN official said on Friday.
“I am horrified by the ongoing attacks on civilian areas and civilian infrastructure as the conflict in northwest Syria continues,” said Mark Cutts, UN deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syrian crisis.
“Such acts of violence against civilians, humanitarian workers and civilian infrastructure are deplorable and I condemn them in the strongest terms,” the UN official added.
He noted that “two weeks ago, three of our humanitarian colleagues were killed in Maarat An-Numan when the ambulance they were travelling in was hit by a direct strike. Two rescue workers who were helping to pull people out from under the rubble were killed a week ago.”
“Shelling and airstrikes, including the use of barrel bombs, in Idleb, western Aleppo and northern Hama have now become a way of life for over two months. Over 300 civilians have been killed. Thousands more have been injured.”
Since April, the Assad regime and its allies have launched a fierce bombing campaign against the liberated areas in the provinces of Hama and Idlib. The bombardment has so far killed more than 800 civilians and injured hundreds more as well as forced more than 600,000 out of their homes towards the border with Turkey. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
