Regime shelling in villages of Syria's Idlib kills several civilians

At least eight civilians, including seven children, have been killed and nine others wounded when Syrian regime and Iran-backed terrorist groups shelled villages in northwestern Syria's Idlib province, a civil defence group said.

The regime troops and its allies attacked the villages of Iblin, Meshun and Belyun in the south of Idlib with ground-to-ground weapons, White Helmets media officer Hasan al Ahmet told Anadolu Agency on Saturday.

Five people were killed in Iblin, two in Belyun, and one in Meshsun, while nine civilians, mostly children, who were wounded were taken to nearby hospitals, he said. 

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Escalation of regime attacks

Regime attacks on Idlib de-escalation zone have escalated in the recent months.

Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Over the past decade, around half a million people have been killed and more than 12 million had to flee their homes.

Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia in March 2020.

The Syrian regime and its allies, however, have consistently violated the terms of the ceasefire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.

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