2 civilians killed by Assad regime attacks in Syria’s Idlib

The Bashar Assad regime in Syria and its Iran-backed allies targeted civilians in the Idlib de-escalation zone, killing two civilians and injuring seven others, once again violating the Sochi deal, local sources said Thursday.

The White Helmets civil defense agency told Anadolu Agency that the regime forces and Iranian-backed terror groups targeted civilian residential areas in northern parts of Hama province with mortar shots, artilleries and rockets.

Kafr Zita town and Lahaya and Al Havice villages were targeted in the attacks.

In September, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin hammered out the Sochi agreement to establish a demilitarized zone in Idlib in order to decrease tension and prevent a new conflict in the province. Russia was committed to preventing Assad regime's aggression as a guarantor.

The deal was internationally praised as it prevented a looming humanitarian disaster that would have resulted from a regime offensive. In line with the Sochi agreement, opposition forces withdrew their heavy weapons on Oct. 10.

Nevertheless, the Assad regime continues its assault on the de-escalation zone. According to a report published by the Syrian Human Rights Network (SNHR) on April 2, some 135 civilians were killed in March 2019 in attacks by the Assad regime, Iran-backed terrorist groups and Russia.

According to Syria Intervention Coordinator, a local civil society organization, between Feb. 9 and April 6, some 160,583 people from 25,776 families had to migrate to surrounding areas along the Turkish-Syrian border to escape the attacks.