UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Monday, called for an investigation into airstrikes believed to have been carried out by Russian jets in Idlib on Thursday, killing dozens including children. The Syrian Coalition said that Russian air force committed a horrible massacre in rural Idlib on Thursday, describing the attack as a “deliberate crime.”
“The secretary-general calls for a full investigation into the attacks, especially allegations that there was also a second strike targeting first responders, to establish accountability,” Guterres’ spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement.
Dujarric added that the secretary-general underscored the precarious plight of the estimated 2.3 million people in Idlib governorate, 60 percent of whom are civilians displaced by the conflict from other areas, most recently from Eastern Ghouta.
In a press release issued on Friday, the Syrian Coalition accused Russia of deliberately bombing an area that is covered by the ‘de-escalation zones’ agreement. It underscored that “the perpetrator of this act is a vengeful, seasoned criminal.”
The Coalition the Syrian people have lost any confidence or hope in the international community given its continued inaction and the indifference it is showing towards the atrocities taking place in Syria.
The Coalition called for urgent action to be taken in order to save civilians, stop these crimes, hold those responsible accountable, and impose a just and comprehensive political solution.”
The Syrian Civil Defense said that the attack on Zardana claimed the lives of at least 44 civilians and injured more than 100 others. It noted that the Russian air force carried out a double-tap attack, killing a rescue worker and injuring many first responders. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
