The Secretary-General of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Haytham Rahmeh, warned of the dangerous consequences of the renewed Russian airstrikes on liberated areas in the Idlib province. These airstrikes coincide with ongoing artillery and rocket shelling by the Assad regime, Iranian militias, and the terrorist Hezbollah militia on rural Aleppo and Idlib. Rahmeh emphasized that the escalation poses significant threats to the region.
“For years, the Assad regime and its allies have persisted in their atrocious crimes against civilians, targeting civilian life in all its forms within the liberated areas,” said Rahmeh.
Rahmeh added that recent attacks on infrastructure—such as the bombing of the Kilani power station—along with civilian homes and livelihoods, resulted in the death of three civilians on Wednesday. He warned that this escalation risks returning Syria to the pre-truce conditions, especially with the ongoing displacement of residents and the military buildup by Assad’s forces and sectarian militias in northern Syria.
He stressed the need for urgent international humanitarian response, given the current waves of displacement. These displacements are taking place amid worsening living conditions due to decreased humanitarian aid and the failure of donor countries to fulfill their pledges made at the Brussels conference.
Russian jets resumed their airstrikes on the liberated areas last Monday, carrying out approximately 50 strikes so far. According to local monitoring sources, these strikes have employed a “double-tap” strategy using high-explosive missiles. This escalation led to the destruction of the Kilani power station in rural Idlib, depriving dozens of villages and towns in the Al-Rouj Plain of access to drinking water.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
