The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Air strikes by Assad forces kill over 40 civilians

Syrian government forces have conducted an airstrike on an insurgent stronghold in northwestern Syria, killing dozens of civilians.

Armed forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday launched fierce attacks on cities in southern Idlib province, the country’s last rebel stronghold.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that 43 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 others injured.

Video footage shows private rescuers pulling a child from rubble.

The human rights group says that the airstrike severely damaged local markets and residential areas.

Assad’s forces, with support from Russia, have waged a major offensive against the enclave since late April, despite a truce agreement last September between Russia and Turkey which was supposed to halt the bombings. Turkey supports the insurgents.

Under the agreement, the two sides set up a demilitarized zone in Idlib and nearby areas and enforced a truce.

The United Nations warns that three million civilian lives are at risk in Idlib and its surrounding areas, urging the Syrian government and other parties to stop the attacks.

But Assad’s government insists that it will continue to “fight against terrorists.”

Source: Air strikes by Assad forces kill over 40 civilians | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News