Russian airstrikes on Syria's Idlib could amount to war crimes: human rights monitor
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has called for action to stop military escalation in northwest Syria following a Russian strike which killed 13 people in Idlib province.
A plume of smoke rises from a building targeted by Russian airstrikes in the Idlib governorate, Syria [Getty]
Deadly Russian airstrikes that targeted civilian areas in northwest Syria over the weekend could amount to war crimes, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has said in a statement.
At least 13 people, including nine civilians, were killed in a series of Russian airstrikes in rebel-held Idlib province in northwestern Syria. It was one of the bloodiest days in the region in months and happened despite a ceasefire being in place.
Sources close to the Syrian regime said the airstrikes were in response to rebel drone strikes which targeted regime-held areas in recent days.
However, the Euro-Med monitor said that the Russian attack did not respect the principles of international humanitarian law, saying no military necessity can justify the heavy loss of civilian life, even if a military unit was the target of the airstrike.
It said the attack was disproportionate and did not distinguish between civilians and alleged militants.
Euro-Med added that the latest airstrikes were part of a major military escalation in the region which it has been monitoring for a week and has led to the deaths of several civilians, including women and children.
"The Russian and Syrian [regime] forces continue to target civilians without fear of accountability, because the international community has not shown a firm response to confront the horrific human rights violations throughout the 12 years of ongoing conflict in Syria," said Anas Jerjawi, the CEO of Euro-Med.
"The double standards in international reactions to the violations of Russian forces in Syria and their similar violations in Ukraine have shown that humanity can be fragmented for decision-makers in Western countries, and that political interests and national and ethnic backgrounds may govern reactions to human tragedies," he added, according to the statement.
Jerjawi said a flare up in fighting will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in northwest Syria and add pressure on NGOs already suffering from severe funding shortages where around 1.8 million people are internally displaced.
Swathes of northwestern Syria, in particular the Idlib and Aleppo governorates, were heavily hit in the 6 February earthquake which struck southeastern Turkey, burying thousands under the rubble and destroying entire towns and villages.
The catastrophe added onto an already miserable situation in the region, where millions of people live in makeshift IDP camps and where infrastructure including hospitals and schools has deliberately been targeted in previous Russian and regime strikes.
Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict in 2015 to back the Assad regime and has since provided it with critical military, intelligence and financial support, enabling it to regain control of most of the country.
The New Arab Staff
26 June, 2023
26 June, 2023
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has called for action to stop military escalation in northwest Syria following a Russian strike which killed 13 people in Idlib province.
A plume of smoke rises from a building targeted by Russian airstrikes in the Idlib governorate, Syria [Getty]
Deadly Russian airstrikes that targeted civilian areas in northwest Syria over the weekend could amount to war crimes, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has said in a statement.
At least 13 people, including nine civilians, were killed in a series of Russian airstrikes in rebel-held Idlib province in northwestern Syria. It was one of the bloodiest days in the region in months and happened despite a ceasefire being in place.
Sources close to the Syrian regime said the airstrikes were in response to rebel drone strikes which targeted regime-held areas in recent days.
However, the Euro-Med monitor said that the Russian attack did not respect the principles of international humanitarian law, saying no military necessity can justify the heavy loss of civilian life, even if a military unit was the target of the airstrike.
It said the attack was disproportionate and did not distinguish between civilians and alleged militants.
Euro-Med added that the latest airstrikes were part of a major military escalation in the region which it has been monitoring for a week and has led to the deaths of several civilians, including women and children.
"The Russian and Syrian [regime] forces continue to target civilians without fear of accountability, because the international community has not shown a firm response to confront the horrific human rights violations throughout the 12 years of ongoing conflict in Syria," said Anas Jerjawi, the CEO of Euro-Med.
"The double standards in international reactions to the violations of Russian forces in Syria and their similar violations in Ukraine have shown that humanity can be fragmented for decision-makers in Western countries, and that political interests and national and ethnic backgrounds may govern reactions to human tragedies," he added, according to the statement.
Jerjawi said a flare up in fighting will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in northwest Syria and add pressure on NGOs already suffering from severe funding shortages where around 1.8 million people are internally displaced.
Swathes of northwestern Syria, in particular the Idlib and Aleppo governorates, were heavily hit in the 6 February earthquake which struck southeastern Turkey, burying thousands under the rubble and destroying entire towns and villages.
The catastrophe added onto an already miserable situation in the region, where millions of people live in makeshift IDP camps and where infrastructure including hospitals and schools has deliberately been targeted in previous Russian and regime strikes.
Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict in 2015 to back the Assad regime and has since provided it with critical military, intelligence and financial support, enabling it to regain control of most of the country.
Nine dead, dozens injured after Russian warplanes attack near Syrian market
By Eyad Kourdi and Hafsa Khalil, CNN
Sun June 25, 2023
People inspect a damaged truck at the fruit and vegetable market following a reported airstrike in Idlib, Syria, June 25, 2023.Yahya Nemah/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
CNN —
Nine people have been killed and dozens injured after Russian fighter jets bombed a city in Syria’s rebel-controlled northwestern Idlib province, according to the local White Helmets emergency response group.
A fruit and vegetable market was impacted in the Sunday attack on the city of Jisr al-Shughur. One eyewitness told CNN that the “missile had so much pressure and the sharpness hit the crowded market.”
Smoke rises as a result of an air strike by Russian warplanes hit close to a fruit and vegetable market.
Anas Alkharboutli/picture alliance/
Getty Images
“Thirty minutes after the strike, I went to the location,” 26-year-old Ahmad Rahhal, a local journalist, said. “I saw wagons of tomato on the ground and blood on the floor.”
The White Helmets said this was the second day of airstrikes in the area, coming ahead of the Muslim festival, Eid al-Adha, in the Muslim-majority country. The past four days have also seen artillery fire, the civil defense added.
Sunday’s strike in Jisr al-Shughur stands as the most fatal in northwestern Syria so far in 2023.
“Thirty minutes after the strike, I went to the location,” 26-year-old Ahmad Rahhal, a local journalist, said. “I saw wagons of tomato on the ground and blood on the floor.”
The White Helmets said this was the second day of airstrikes in the area, coming ahead of the Muslim festival, Eid al-Adha, in the Muslim-majority country. The past four days have also seen artillery fire, the civil defense added.
Sunday’s strike in Jisr al-Shughur stands as the most fatal in northwestern Syria so far in 2023.
People stand next to damaged trucks at the market in Idlib following the Russian airstrike.
Yahya Nemah/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Russian military flights over the country have shown marked aggression in the past few months.
In April, Russian pilots attempted to “dogfight” US jets over Syria, the US said. In military aviation, dogfighting is engaging in aerial combat, often at relatively close ranges.
Earlier this month, the US deployed F-22 fighter jets to the Middle East over concerns about “unsafe and unprofessional behavior” by Russian aircraft.
Russian military flights over the country have shown marked aggression in the past few months.
In April, Russian pilots attempted to “dogfight” US jets over Syria, the US said. In military aviation, dogfighting is engaging in aerial combat, often at relatively close ranges.
Earlier this month, the US deployed F-22 fighter jets to the Middle East over concerns about “unsafe and unprofessional behavior” by Russian aircraft.
Airstrike Hits Busy Market in Opposition-Held Northwestern Syria, Kills at Least 9
June 25, 2023
Associated Press
June 25, 2023
Associated Press
A plume of smoke rises from a building following a reported Russian air strike on Syria's northwestern rebel-held Idlib province, June 25, 2023.
JISR AL-SHUGHUR, SYRIA —
An airstrike early Sunday over a busy vegetable market in northwestern Syria killed at least nine people, activists and local first responders said.
Activists and Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Russia, a top ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, launched the strike over the strategic opposition-held town of Jisr al-Shughur near the Turkish border.
The strike comes a day after Moscow's top mercenary group briefly revolted against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Opposition-held northwestern Syria's civil defense organization known as the White Helmets said over 30 people were wounded, and expected the death toll to increase.
"We're hearing that the critically wounded have been dying after reaching the hospital," Ahmad Yaziji of the White Helmets told The Associated Press. "It was a targeted attack in the main vegetable market where farmers from around northern Syria gather."
Farmers rushed the wounded to the hospital in bloodied vegetable trucks, while activists shared urgent calls for blood donations.
Neither Syria nor Russia commented on the airstrike, though Damascus says strikes in the northwest province target armed insurgent groups. The Syrian pro-government newspaper Al-Watan, citing an unidentified security source, said that the airstrike targeted militants and a weapons depot.
Northwestern Syria is mostly held by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al Sham, as well as Turkish-backed forces.
JISR AL-SHUGHUR, SYRIA —
An airstrike early Sunday over a busy vegetable market in northwestern Syria killed at least nine people, activists and local first responders said.
Activists and Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Russia, a top ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, launched the strike over the strategic opposition-held town of Jisr al-Shughur near the Turkish border.
The strike comes a day after Moscow's top mercenary group briefly revolted against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Opposition-held northwestern Syria's civil defense organization known as the White Helmets said over 30 people were wounded, and expected the death toll to increase.
"We're hearing that the critically wounded have been dying after reaching the hospital," Ahmad Yaziji of the White Helmets told The Associated Press. "It was a targeted attack in the main vegetable market where farmers from around northern Syria gather."
Farmers rushed the wounded to the hospital in bloodied vegetable trucks, while activists shared urgent calls for blood donations.
Neither Syria nor Russia commented on the airstrike, though Damascus says strikes in the northwest province target armed insurgent groups. The Syrian pro-government newspaper Al-Watan, citing an unidentified security source, said that the airstrike targeted militants and a weapons depot.
Northwestern Syria is mostly held by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al Sham, as well as Turkish-backed forces.
Russian airstrikes kill at least 11 people in rebel-held Syria
The explosions, including one allegedly at a food market, are said to be in retaliation for deadly drone attacks last week attributed to rebels
By AFP
One civilian and one rebel fighter were also killed in a strike on the outskirts of Idlib city, said Abdel Rahman, whose Britain-based monitor has a wide network of sources inside war-torn Syria.
A plume of smoke rises from a building following a reported Russian air strike on Syria’s northwestern rebel-held Idlib province, on June 25, 2023. (Abdulaziz KETAZ / AFP)
At least 30 civilians were wounded in Sunday’s strikes, he said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise.
Russian forces, which back the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, were responding to rebel drone strikes over the past week that killed four civilians including two children, according to Abdel Rahman.
Damascus, with Russian and Iranian support, has clawed back much of the ground lost in the early stages of Syria’s conflict, which erupted in 2011 when the government brutally repressed pro-democracy protests.
The last pocket of armed opposition to the regime includes large swathes of Idlib province and parts of the neighboring Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, headed by ex-members of Syria’s former Al-Qaeda franchise, is the dominant group in the area but other rebel groups are also active, with varying degrees of Turkish backing.
More than half a million people were killed in Syria’s civil war, which has forced around half of the country’s pre-war population from their homes.
The explosions, including one allegedly at a food market, are said to be in retaliation for deadly drone attacks last week attributed to rebels
By AFP
25 June 2023,
A truck drives as a plume of smoke rises from a building during a reported Russian airstrike on Syria's northwestern rebel-held Idlib province, on June 25, 2023.
A truck drives as a plume of smoke rises from a building during a reported Russian airstrike on Syria's northwestern rebel-held Idlib province, on June 25, 2023.
(Abdulaziz KETAZ / AFP)
Russian airstrikes on Sunday on Syria’s northwest killed at least 11 people including seven civilians, in retaliation for deadly drone attacks blamed on rebel forces, a war monitor said.
“Six civilians were killed in Jisr al-Shughur and three rebel fighters were killed nearby by Russian airstrikes,” Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP.
Ahmed Yezidi of the civil defense in Jisr al-Shughur, a city in rebel-held Idlib province, said the strikes killed nine people, without specifying whether fighters were included in the toll.
A fruit and vegetable market in the city was hit by the Russian strike, said the Observatory and an AFP correspondent at the scene.
Yezidi called it “a direct attack on the popular market, which is a basic source of income for farmers” in the area.
Russian airstrikes on Sunday on Syria’s northwest killed at least 11 people including seven civilians, in retaliation for deadly drone attacks blamed on rebel forces, a war monitor said.
“Six civilians were killed in Jisr al-Shughur and three rebel fighters were killed nearby by Russian airstrikes,” Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP.
Ahmed Yezidi of the civil defense in Jisr al-Shughur, a city in rebel-held Idlib province, said the strikes killed nine people, without specifying whether fighters were included in the toll.
A fruit and vegetable market in the city was hit by the Russian strike, said the Observatory and an AFP correspondent at the scene.
Yezidi called it “a direct attack on the popular market, which is a basic source of income for farmers” in the area.
One civilian and one rebel fighter were also killed in a strike on the outskirts of Idlib city, said Abdel Rahman, whose Britain-based monitor has a wide network of sources inside war-torn Syria.
A plume of smoke rises from a building following a reported Russian air strike on Syria’s northwestern rebel-held Idlib province, on June 25, 2023. (Abdulaziz KETAZ / AFP)
At least 30 civilians were wounded in Sunday’s strikes, he said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise.
Russian forces, which back the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, were responding to rebel drone strikes over the past week that killed four civilians including two children, according to Abdel Rahman.
Damascus, with Russian and Iranian support, has clawed back much of the ground lost in the early stages of Syria’s conflict, which erupted in 2011 when the government brutally repressed pro-democracy protests.
The last pocket of armed opposition to the regime includes large swathes of Idlib province and parts of the neighboring Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, headed by ex-members of Syria’s former Al-Qaeda franchise, is the dominant group in the area but other rebel groups are also active, with varying degrees of Turkish backing.
More than half a million people were killed in Syria’s civil war, which has forced around half of the country’s pre-war population from their homes.
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