Analysis by PMOI/MEK
May 12, 2019 – 565 civilians have died following attacks launched by the Assad regime in Syria, Iran-backed terrorist militia groups and Russian forces targeting the Idlib de-escalation zone. These attacks come after the signing of an agreement – on September 17, 2018 – to supposedly de-escalate the conflict zone, leaving 163 children and 105 women killed to this day. 396,480 civilians have also been forced to flee their homes during this period.
On Saturday, eleven members of the United Nations Security Council issued a joint statement on Syria expressing concerns regarding the escalating conflict in northwest Syria. The signatories also condemned the loss of life among innocent civilians, the fact that more than 150,000 people have been displaced and the targeting of civilian centers, civilian infrastructures such as hospitals and schools. We express our deep concerns over a possible humanitarian crisis if a full-scale military operation is carried out in the Idlib area, the statement adds.
It is worth noting that the latest wave of the Assad regime’s attacks against Idlib through airstrikes has witnessed the horrendous use of barrel bombs in support of ground attacks. This campaign has devastated the lives of hundreds of thousands of locals and has the potential of evolving into a disastrous humanitarian crisis.
Senator Robert Menendez posted a tweet in reference to the latest attacks targeting Idlib Province in Syria, accusing the Bashar Assad regime, the regime in Iran and Russia as its main supporters, of violating the regional ceasefire and killing innocent civilians.
“The #Assad regime and its Russian & Iranian backers violated the ceasefire agreement in #Idlib and are murdering innocent civilians under a rain of airstrikes & barrel bombs. In the face of such cruelty & suffering, the US must show renewed leadership & hold Assad accountable.”
The #Assad regime, and its Russian & Iranian backers, violated the ceasefire agreement in #Idlib and are murdering innocent civilians under a rain of airstrikes & barrel bombs. In the face of such cruelty & suffering, the US must show renewed leadership & hold Assad accountable. https://t.co/Mnp3j2omvw
— Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) May 10, 2019
Eleven members of the U.N. Security Council are urging fighters in Syria’s Idlib province to honor last September’s cease-fire arrangements.
A statement read Friday on behalf of Germany, Kuwait, Belgium, the United States, United Kingdom, Equatorial Guinea, Poland, Ivory Coast, Peru, Dominical Republic, and France expressed “great concern” at the intensifying hostilities in northwestern Syria.
It expressed deep concern “of a potential humanitarian catastrophe in the event of a full-scale military operation in Idlib zone.”
Four council members — Russia, China, South Africa, and Indonesia — did not join in supporting the statement.
The 11 countries condemned the loss of innocent civilian lives and expressed alarm at the displacement of over 150,000 persons as well as the targeting of population centers and civilian infrastructure including hospitals and schools.
“We urge all parties to uphold international humanitarian law and protect civilians,” their statement said.
