A man, identified in Assad Khaled Fahham from Ariha city in southern rural Idlib governorate, who worked as a driver with the Syria Relief organization, was killed on October 8, 2023, by Syrian regime forces who fired multiple artillery shells at Idlib city, targeting several neighborhoods and vital facilities in the city, including the National Hospital. Assad was near the hospital at the moment it was targeted, leading to his death. The area is under the control of armed opposition factions and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
It should be noted that these attacks are of a retaliatory nature, with the regime ordering intensified bombardment of these areas in response to a bombing that targeted the regime’s Military College in Homs city on October 5, 2023.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) notes that through these attacks, Syrian regime forces have again unequivocally violated Security Council resolutions 2139 & 2254, both of which categorically prohibit indiscriminate attacks, as well as violating the rules of international humanitarian law on distinguishing between civilians and fighters. Such attacks aim solely to spread fear and panic among civilians, to drive them from their lands and homes, and to forcibly displace them. It is estimated that 6.5 million people are currently internally displaced in Syria.
The international community must put pressure on the Syrian regime and its allies to support a process of political transition. Pressure should be applied on all parties to compel them to launch such a transition within a period of no more than six months, so that millions of displaced people can safely and stably return to their homes.
