UN condemns killing of civilians by government forces in northern Syria

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) condemned on Friday the continued killing and displacement of civilians in northwestern Syria, despite the announcement of the latest ceasefire nearly a week ago. 

“It is deeply distressing that civilians are still being killed on a daily basis in missile strikes from both the air and ground,” said Commissioner Michelle Bachelet. “Women, men and children simply carrying out everyday activities at home, the workplace, in markets and at schools are being killed and maimed in senseless violence.”  

She called for the immediate cessation of hostilities in and around the city of Idlib and “the protection of all civilians and civilian infrastructure.”  

“Our main concern is for the safety of civilians who remain at serious risk,” explained Bachelet. “While the pursuit of a ceasefire is, of course, to be encouraged, this agreement – as with others in the past year – has yet again failed to protect civilians. 

Ankara launched a cross-border offensive in northern Syria in early October, targeting members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands and dozens of civilian deaths. A ceasefire deal was first reached between the US and Turkey on Oct. 17 and then another between Russia and Turkey on Oct. 22. Turkey, however, continued a program of aggressive drone strikes and shelling of SDF positions.

Despite the implementation of the most recent ceasefire on Jan. 12 and the establishment of so-called “safe corridors” by the Syrian government, Bachelet charged that civilians “continued to be subjected to intensified bombardment as both pro-Government forces and non-State armed groups have continued to fight and press military advantages on the ground, with an apparent disregard for international humanitarian law and the protection of all civilians.”

OHCHR recorded multiple incidents in which civilians were killed. “Seven civilians from one family, including a woman and six girls, “were killed when their house was hit in the town of Binnish in eastern rural Idlib; and five civilians, including two children, were killed in the village of al-Nairab in eastern rural Idlib.”

From the beginning of the escalation of hostilities in the de-escalation zone in Idlib and surrounding areas on April 29 until this past Wednesday, OHCHR “has verified incidents in which 1,506 civilians, including 293 women and 433 children, have been killed. Of these, 75 civilians including 17 women and 22 children (five percent of the total), were in areas under the control of Government forces.” 

The press release concluded, “Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the violence and forced to traverse conflict zones. Some have fled to smaller territories in northern Idlib while others have crossed into areas in northern Aleppo that are under the control of Turkey-backed armed groups and where levels of violence in such areas remain high.”