Head of the Syrian interim government Jawad Abu Hatab on Friday toured Idlib province on a trip to get a first-hand account of the situation in the liberated towns and villages and listen to the residents’ needs. Abu Hatab began the tour with a meeting with members of the provincial council in Idlib and a number of the medical professionals operating in the province.
Abu Hatab also visited the civil defense center in the town of Saraqib which has been subjected to brutal aerial bombardment by Russian air force since early August. The Russian bombings on the town left dozens of civilians killed and injured and forced nearly half of the population out of their homes. Abu Hatab also visited bombed civilian facilities to assess the damage.
Activists said that over 80 airstrikes have hit Saraqib in the last three days. The most violent strikes targeted the public market, medical centers, and the blood bank building. Three civil defense ambulances and a vehicle were destroyed in the Russian airstrikes on the rebel-held town.
Abu Hatab also made an evaluation of the performance of the interim government on the ground, stressing the important role of the local councils in the administration of the liberated areas. He pledged more support for local councils serving as partners with the interim government in the provision of services and aid to the civilian population.
Aleppo and Idlib provinces have been going through tragic conditions as a result of the escalating aerial campaign by the Assad regime and Russian forces which targets mainly civilian populated areas and vital civilian infrastructure such as schools, bakeries, places of worship, hospitals and medical facilities.
Russia ramped up its bombing campaign on Saraqib after one of its helicopters crashed on the outskirts of the town on August 1, causing the death of all five crewmembers on board. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
