Syrian regime artillery forces, stationed near Saraqeb city in east of Idlib governorate, fired a shell at al Abrar IDP Camp near al Sawaghiya village in the northern suburbs of the governorate in the morning of June 9. The shell struck a tent serving as a mosque in the camp, which is adjacent to another tent used as a school, resulting in severe damage to both tents in addition to damaging a number of other tents around them. SNHR can confirm that the camp is free of any military equipment or presence.
Through this action, Syrian regime forces have, without doubt, committed another violation of Security Council resolutions 2139 and 2254 which prohibit any further indiscriminate attacks, as well as violating the rules of international humanitarian law which stress the distinction between civilians and combatants. Attacks of this nature spread terror and panic among civilians, leading them to flee their lands and homes in an attempt to reach safety, and forcibly displacing them, with the number of internally displaced persons within Syria currently standing at approximately 6.5 million Syrian citizens in total. The international community should put pressure on the Syrian regime and its allies to force them to compensate the displaced victims, rehabilitate homes and vital centers, support the process of political transition, and press all parties to pursue implementation of political transition according to a strict timetable which must not exceed six months, thus enabling millions of IDPs to return homes.
