On Sunday, two civilians were killed and others wounded by artillery shelling by Assad forces and Russia, targeting a popular market in the town of Afes, in the northern countryside of Idleb. Intermittent shelling hit the area and its surroundings, claiming civilian casualties.
Activists said that the shelling hit the market of the Afes town with several artillery shells, causing the death of two martyrs, and wounding others, including a teacher. The shelling also caused major destruction to the facilities of the targeted market. White Helmets teams worked to rescue the wounded and transport the victims to the hospital.
In a statement today, the Syrian Response Coordinators’ Team confirmed the ongoing cause of many civilian casualties from persistent targeting by the Syrian regime and SDF forces in the de-escalation areas and northern Aleppo.
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The Team strongly condemned the hostilities and continued violations by all parties in the region that caused civilian casualties and injuries, as well as the deliberate targeting of essential infrastructure in northwestern Syria.
It stressed that these targets showed a clear disregard for civilian life, forming part of a deliberate military strategy to destroy civilian infrastructure, force the population to flee the area, keep civilians locked in a state of complete instability, and increase economic and psychological harm.
The team called on all international actors to work effectively towards a ceasefire in northwestern Syria and to stop the ongoing, deliberate violations in order to de-escalate military presence in the region.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
