Syria's de-escalation zone bombarded 13 times in 24 hours, says Russian Defence Ministry

The Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group bombarded Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone at least 13 times in the last 24 hours, said the deputy head of the Russian Defence Ministry’s Centre for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit. As per the Sputnik report on October 5, Kulit said at a briefing that 13 “shelling attacks” from the positions of the terrorist group were registered in the past day in the de-escalation zone in provinces. He added that five attacks took place in Idlib, six in Aleppo and one each in Latakia and Hama.

The official said that the number of attacks according to Syria’s side’s data amounted to five. Kulit also said that the efforts to stabilise the situation in Syria’s Daraa province were ongoing. The report added that due to the mediation of the Russian reconciliation centre, at least 347 people settled their status. Furthermore, 83 pieces of weapons and over 3,500 rounds of ammunition were also given up over the last day in a range of locations.

The Russian Defence Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides and Control over the Movement of Refugees in the Syrian Arab Republic, as per the report, was set up back in February 2016. The body’s task includes the signing of agreements on illegal armed groups and individual settlements joining the regime, along with the coordination of humanitarian aid delivery. 

UN raises concerns over the situation in Syria

The shelling in Syria came just a couple of weeks after the United Nations (UN) flagged concerns over the economic crisis and worsening situation of COVID-19 which are further deteriorating the situation of civilians in northwest Syria. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has noted the escalation in violence which it said was reported across the northwestern region of Syria especially during September. It also said that there was an increase in airstrikes and battles in southern Idlib.

More specifically, the UN is concerned with the COVID-19 crisis in the Middle Eastern nation with over 1,000 people testing positive for Coronavirus in northwest Syria.

IMAGE: AP/representative