Syrian regime airstrikes kill 6 in Idlib

IDLIB, Syria (AA) – At least six civilians were killed and 15 others injured Friday in attacks by the Assad regime in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, said local sources.

The White Helmets civil defense agency said airstrikes killed four civilians in Maarat al-Numan and two others in nearby Kafarruma.

At least 151 civilians have lost their lives in Idlib since April 25, with more than 405 civilians injured.

Some 1.5 million people currently reside in Idlib. Half are displaced from other parts of the war-torn country.

Turkey and Russia agreed last September to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression would be expressly prohibited.

The regime, however, has consistently broken the terms of the ceasefire, launching frequent attacks inside the zone.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in early 2011 when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected severity.

*Writing by Vakkas Dogantekin and Nilay Kar Onum