Syrian regime attacks kill 5 children in Idlib

By Burak Karacaoglu and Esref Musa

IDLIB, Syria (AA) - Five children were among the dead when the Assad regime hit a de-escalation zone in northwest Syria on Wednesday, according to local sources.

The regime’s airstrikes in Idlib’s Maarat Al-Numan killed 10 civilians in all and at least 23 others were injured, said a source with the Syrian civil defense agency, known as the White Helmets.

Regime jets also struck a variety of districts inside the Idlib de-escalation zone.

Turkey and Russia agreed last September to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone where acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

Under the deal, opposition groups in Idlib would remain in areas where they were already present, while Russia and Turkey would carry out joint patrols in the area to prevent a resumption of fighting.

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