At least 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 50 more were wounded in airstrikes by the Assad regime on a public market in central Idlib on Sunday, according to the city’s civil defense chief Laith Faris.
The Syrian Coalition condemned the massacre, describing it as a grave escalation that further proves the terrorist nature of the Assad regime and its allies. The Coalition pointed out that the only solution that Assad and his allies believe in is the continued slaughter of civilians, which is part of their grand strategy in Syria. The Coalition stressed that massacres by Assad and his allies are designed to disrupt the political process and help Assad wriggle out of the obligations of political transition enshrined in international resolutions on Syria.
Regime forces at dawn today conducted several airstrikes on the town of Uqayribat in eastern rural Hama, killing at least 8 civilians, all from one family, including women and children, and injuring many more.
Aircrafts of the Assad regime and Russia continue to pound the city of Aleppo and its countryside, using internationally prohibited weapons against populated areas.
Activists said that airstrikes have been concentrated on the towns of Anadan, Kafar Hamra, Huraytan and Almallah in rural Aleppo. They published videos showing rockets loaded with phosphorus hitting civilian areas in rural Aleppo. Airstrikes earlier today also hit the town of Othmaniya in southern rural Aleppo, injuring at least 11 civilians.
Two civilians were killed on Monday in a landmine explosion in the village of Umm Alsafa near the town of Manbij in northeastern rural Aleppo.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the massacre that took place in central Idlib on Sunday. “We strongly condemn this heinous attack carried out before the eyes of the whole world,” the Ministry said in a press release issued earlier today.
“Massacring innocent civilians by specifically targeting them are deliberate acts against humanity. Those who try to find excuses for their attacks on civilian targets, such as hospitals, mosques, markets, IDP camps, which constitute blatant violation of international humanitarian law and war crimes, are mocking the international community,” the release said.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry stressed that “continued massacring of civilians in Syria seriously undermines the efforts for finding a political solution and sustaining the ceasefire. It also renders these efforts meaningless in the eyes of Syrians. Reinstating peace and stability in Syria would first require prevention of these crimes.” (Source: Syrian Coalition + Anadolu Agency)
