At least 26 civilians killed in December attacks by Syrian regime, Russia in Idlib

By Mehmet Burak Karacaoglu and Ahmet Karaahmet

IDLIB, Syria (AA) – At least 26 civilians were killed and 118 others wounded last month in attacks by the Assad regime forces and Russia in the Idlib de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria, a local civil defense group said on Tuesday.

The Assad regime, backed by Russia and Iran, launched 118 ground and air attacks in the Idlib de-escalation zone in December, said Hamid Qutini, a White Helmets press officer in Idlib.

Casualties were recorded in the attacks on villages in rural areas of Idlib and Aleppo, he added.

Qutini said the attacks targeted seven schools, a bakery, four tent camps, six public markets, and two mosques, causing significant damage.

"In the air attacks by Russia, five civilians, including three children and a woman, lost their lives. In the ground-to-ground attacks carried out by the Assad regime and Iran-backed groups, 21 civilians lost their lives," he elaborated.

- Situation in Idlib

Türkiye, Russia, and Iran created four "de-escalation zones" in Syria in areas not under the control of the Syrian government at a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2017.

The Damascus administration, Iran-backed terrorists and Russia continued attacks, seized three out of four districts, and headed for Idlib.

Although Türkiye reached an additional agreement with Russia to strengthen the cease-fire in September 2018, the attacks intensified again in May 2019.

After a new cease-fire deal for northwestern Syria was reached between Ankara and Moscow on March 5, 2020, the truce was largely preserved.

Between 2017 and 2020, two million civilians fleeing attacks were forced to migrate to areas near the Turkish border.