UN announces death of civilians killed by militant assault in Syria

(MENAFN) At least 27 civilians, including children as young as eight, have been killed in Syria this week due to Islamist militant assaults in the northwest, according to a UN official cited by Reuters. The large-scale attack, launched on Wednesday by the group Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS), formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, targeted areas in Aleppo and Idlib provinces. The militants have reportedly captured several regions once held by Syrian forces and claimed to have entered Aleppo city. The assault, the first of its kind in years, is focused on villages, towns, and military sites.

The UN’s David Carden expressed grave concern over the escalating situation, emphasizing that civilians and infrastructure must be protected under International Humanitarian Law. On Friday, Syria's state news reported four civilians killed in a terrorist shelling at a university in Aleppo. Syrian forces launched a counteroffensive, successfully pushing back the militants in some areas.

This attack marks the first major clash since March 2020, following a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Türkiye. In response, Russian and Syrian warplanes targeted HTS positions in Idlib and Latakia last month. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned the escalation as an attack on Syria’s sovereignty, hoping that the Syrian government could quickly resolve the situation.

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