8 civilians killed in Syria's Idlib by regime strikes

By Esref Musa and Mehmet Burak Karacaoglu

IDLIB, Syria (AA) - Russian and regime forces carried out airstrikes in Idlib, Syria, killing at least eight civilians, local sources said Wednesday.

Russian warplanes targeted the rural areas of the northwestern province de-escalation zone, according to the Syrian opposition aircraft observatory.

The attack also injured 20 others, said local civil defense agency, the White Helmets.

The Bashar al-Assad regime continues intensified air and land attacks on civilian settlements in Idlib de-escalated zone.

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited. But more than 1,300 civilians have been killed in attacks by the regime and Russian forces there since then as the ceasefire continues to be violated.

In a fresh move, Turkey announced Jan. 10 a new cease-fire in Idlib would start just after midnight Jan. 12.

However, the regime and Iran-backed terrorist groups continued ground attacks.

More than 1 million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border due to intense attacks over the last year.

Turkey remains the country with most refugees, hosting more than 3.7 million migrants since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar