Activists said that five civilians were killed and many others injured in regime airstrikes on the town of Kafranbel in rural Idlib on Thursday. The Syrian Coalition said that the Assad regime crimes against the Syrian people continue unabated despite the ceasefire.
Activists said that regime fighter jets bombed the area close to Alarbien Mosque and Fadel Khatib School in the center of Kafranbel. They published photos and videos showing massive destruction to civilian homes and shops caused by the airstrikes.
Rescue workers said the death toll is likely to increase as the casualties included many serious injuries.
In its daily report on the violations of the ceasefire agreement, the Syrian Coalition said that regime forces have lately escalated military operations in many areas across Syria. It recorded at least 52 truce violations by regime forces on Wednesday, resulting in the death of 11 civilians, including women and children.
The report also recorded truce violations by the Russian forces which carried out airstrikes using internationally banned weapons including vacuum bombs and the white phosphorus. The most violent airstrikes hit rebel-held areas in southern and western Aleppo in preparation for a ground attack by regime forces and Iranian-backed militias.
The latest truce violations by regime forces and their allies came a few days before an upcoming meeting on Syria due to be held in the Kazakh capital Astana on March 14-15. The meeting is aimed at discussing ways to bolster the ceasefire, ensure humanitarian access to the besieged areas, and secure the release of detainees. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)