6 killed and 75 wounded in Syrian regime attack

Nine civilians including three children have been killed in a cluster munition attack by Syrian and Russian forces on a refugee camp in western Idlib.

Opposition activists said that the government fired 30 rockets at the camps on Sunday and Russian warplanes launched four raids on western Idlib.

War planes dropped bombs on forests west of Idlib and over 70 wounded were taken to field hospitals.

In 2020 Russia and Turkiye announced a ceasefire in Idlib to put an end to ongoing government-led bombardment in the province and allow humanitarian aid inside.

It followed an offensive by the Syrian government and its ally Russia in December 2019 which saw roughly 300,000 people flee towards Turkiye.

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This offensive included the deliberate targeting of hospitals by the government. The attack this weekend is the latest violation of this ceasefire.

The Syrian government and its allies have frequently violated the ceasefire terms, including in July of this year when a Russian air attack on Idlib killed seven civilians, including four children from one family.

In October Syrian and Russian forces shelled and launched missiles into villages and towns separating them from opposition held areas.

Conditions are already dire in camps in Idlib with forcibly displaced civilians struggling to survive in makeshift tents as winter approaches as they were not able to afford wood and coal.

In October Anadolu Agency reported that camp residents were collecting plastic bags and manure to keep them warm in winter. There has also been an outbreak of cholera in Idlib.

The UN estimates that over 306,000 civilians have been killed in over ten years of fighting.

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