A rocket attack carried out by Syrian regime forces on the outskirts of Sarmin city in the rebel-held Idlib province has resulted in the tragic loss of at least two civilians, with two others wounded, including a child in critical condition. The Syrian volunteer emergency rescue group, known as the White Helmets or Syria Civil Defence, reported this incident.
According to the White Helmets, an elderly man and a woman lost their lives in the northwestern province during the attack that occurred on Saturday. Two individuals, including a seriously injured child, were also among the casualties. The attack targeted a displacement camp housing approximately 25 families from Idlib and the Hama countryside. The Syrian regime forces responsible for the attack were based in the city of Saraqib, east of Idlib.
Munir Mustafa, the deputy director of the Syria Civil Defence, described the situation, stating that their teams had responded swiftly by rescuing victims, providing medical assistance to the injured, and extinguishing a fire that had broken out in the camp. However, the Syrian regime forces resumed shelling the vicinity of the camp shortly after these efforts.
This incident marks the fourth attack targeting a camp in northwest Syria and the second shelling on a camp near Sarmin city, which has been under repeated assault by regime forces over several months. On September 2, a similar shelling in residential neighborhoods of Sarmin resulted in the tragic death of a baby and injuries to four other civilians.
Mustafa highlighted the dire situation in northwest Syria, where their teams have responded to a total of 711 attacks by the regime, Russia, and their affiliated militias since the beginning of the year until September 12. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of 61 people, including 11 children and 5 women, with 261 others wounded.
It’s worth noting that a ceasefire agreement between Turkey and Russia was reached in March 2020 after months of violence in Idlib, which had witnessed a military offensive by Russian-backed Syrian forces. A portion of Idlib had been declared a de-escalation zone in 2017.