The brutal Monday airstrikes on the town of Ma’aret al-Nu’man in rural Idlib sparked international outcry as the attack killed at least 40 civilians and wounded dozens others.
The United Sates condemned the airstrikes as violating the international law. U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Tuesday “the continued airstrikes over the past three months have destabilized the region and displaced at least 330,000 in the past few months while demonstrating Bashar al-Assad believes in a military solution to the ongoing war.”
“These attacks by Russia and the Assad regime continue to deliberately strike civilian infrastructure — which is a blatant violation of international law — they hit medical facilities of which coordinates have been shared with the U.N., in an effort to protect civilians,” Ortagus said in a statement.
“Attacks by Russia and the Assad regime also continue to kill and maim humanitarians such as ambulance drivers, health workers and White Helmets volunteers.”
Condemning the continued airstrikes by Russia and the Assad regime in Idlib province, the United States on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire to end the “humanitarian disaster”.
“We condemn continued airstrikes by Russia and Bashar al-Assad in Idlib. These strikes destroy infrastructure & kill civilians. There is no military solution in Syria. We call for an immediate ceasefire and a return to the political process. End this humanitarian disaster,” tweeted US secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the UNB Secretary-General, expressed concern on the mounting civilian casualties in the Idlib area in response to one of the deadliest attack on civilian areas in the past three months. He called for attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure to come to an end and for areas to be made accessible for humanitarian assistance.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkish broadcaster TGRT Haber: “The responsibility to stop the regime attacks (in Idlib) is on our neighbor Russia.” Anadolu news agency said that Cavusoglu discussed with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov the Syrian issue and the developments in Idlib.
In a press conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Monday, Head of the Syrian Negotiations Commission, Nasser al-Hariri, called on the international community to establish an alliance outside the Security Council to protect civilians in Syria, pointing out that “protecting the population in Syria cannot be done through the issuance of statements.
The Russian jets on Monday committed a brutal massacre iMa’aret al-Nu’man where at least 35 civilians were killed and dozens more were injured. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
