An attack by the Bashar Assad regime, in violation of a ceasefire, killed five civilians and injured another four in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province on Thursday.

Regime forces in Maarat al-Numan district attacked a village in Idlib’s south with surface-to-surface weapons.

Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia in March 2020.

The Syrian regime, however, has consistently violated the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.

Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Over the past decade, around half a million people have been killed and more than 12 million have had to flee their homes.

For years, the Assad regime has ignored the needs and safety of the Syrian people, only eyeing further territorial gains and crushing the opposition. The regime has bombed civilian facilities such as schools, hospitals and residential areas, displacing almost half the country's population.