The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Airstrike on Syria’s main rebel enclave kills 2 paramedics

An airstrike hit an ambulance in northwest Syria on Wednesday, killing two members of the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense and wounding four others in the last major rebel stronghold in the country, Civil Defense and opposition activists said.

The Civil Defense, also known as White Helmets, said the attack happened in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, which has been repeatedly attacked over the past weeks.

The group said the latest deaths raise to 262 the number of Civil Defense members who have been killed since Syria’s civil war began eight years ago.

The incident comes a week after two ambulance workers were killed in the nearby village of Maaret al-Numan.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that in addition to the two Civil Defense members, eight other civilians were killed in Idlib province.

Syrian state media reported that insurgents shelled the government-held village of Karnaz, killing one child.

State news agency SANA said government forces bombarded “positions and movements” of al-Qaida-linked militants who control large parts of Idlib.

Syrian government forces launched an offensive against the rebel-held territory in late April, leading to the collapse of a cease-fire negotiated by Turkey and Russia last year.

The violence has forced an estimated 330,000 people to flee their homes since May 1, moving toward the Turkish border, according to the United Nations. Several health facilities were targeted in the violence.

Source: Airstrike on Syria’s main rebel enclave kills 2 paramedics | KIRO-TV