The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

In conjunction with the preoccupation of the international community with the Turkish attack on Afrin, the Russian warplanes carry out an attack by Thermite on Idlib

Idlib Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: Idlib province is witnessing escalation of the bombardment by warplanes and helicopters affiliated to the regime and Russia, in which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored today morning Friday the 26th of January 2018, that the warplanes carried out raids targeting areas in Saraqeb town, Tell Mardikh area, Maasaran town, and the villages of Barnan, Afs and Fawran, while the helicopters bombed places in Abu Al-Duhur area in the eastern countryside of Idlib by explosive barrels, and reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the bombardment by the Russian warplanes was carried out by using shattered bombs, filled with Thermite, which was used previously by the Russian forces in targeting several Syrian areas, and “Thermite” is composed of aluminum powder and iron oxide, and causes burns because it continues to ignite for about 180 seconds, and it is inside the bombs used by Russian warplanes in recent weeks of bombing the Syrian territory, it is a cluster incendiary bombs, its type is “RBK-500 ZAB 2.5 SM” which weighs about 500 kg (about 1100 pounds) dropped by the military aircrafts, and carry small sized bombs anti-individuals and anti-vehicles of the type ((AO 2.5 RTM)), between 50 -110 small sized bombs stuffed with “Thermite”, which outpour out of it when they explode, the range of this anti-individuals and anti-vehicles bombs is between 20-30 meters.

The reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the daily strikes on Idlib province, caused more material damage, and resulted in the break out of fires in the property of the citizens, and confirmed information about injuries, in this province which has been witnessing for nearly a month, intensive and ongoing bombardment by warplanes and helicopters affiliated to the regime and Russia by missiles , bombs and explosive barrels, as well as selling by the regime forces by shells and missiles believed to be ground-to-ground, which left during this month hundreds of casualties and wounded, as well as destruction to the infrastructure and to the property of the citizens in the areas which have been shelled.