The Syrian Civil Defence, a volunteer search-and-rescue group operating in rebel-held areas of Syria, has said several civilians have been killed as a result of series of attacks conducted by the Assad regime and its allies in northwestern Syria.
Accordingly, at least five people were killed alongside several others that have been wounded in Idlib province during shelling on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Wednesday, artillery shelling destroyed a building housing a medical centre in Marayan, in the Jabal al-Zawiya area in southern Idlib. It was the only medical centre for thousands of civilians in the area.
On Tuesday, at least four civilians were killed and 11 others wounded in separate attacks on residential neighbourhoods in Idlib city.
The ongoing offensive in Idlib is the biggest escalation in the past year. The region is home to 3.4 million civilians in Idlib—over 2 million of them displaced from elsewhere in Syria during the decade-long war. An activist based in Idlib, Salwa Abd Alrahman, told reporters that the displaced are hoping for stability and an end to the battles meanwhile trying to build themselves a future.
Salwa added, “Russia is trying to empty the city and intimidate civilians, to send a message to the world that it is the strongest in the region, and that it is in control of the military situation.”
Other activists also claim that the offensive is attempting to displace civilians.
Despite a ceasefire held in the region since 2020, Assad forces continued shelling schools, hospitals and camps.
