On December 17, 2023, Syrian regime forces used a rocket launcher to carry out attacks on a number of neighborhoods and vital facilities in Idlib city. The attacks hit the al-Sena’iya ‘industrial’ area, al-Sheikh Thulth neighborhood, al-Mal’ab al-Sena’ie, and the nearby popular market, as well as the Abna alShuhada Camp, located in the city. Fifteen civilians, including five children and one woman, were injured in the attacks, while the neighborhoods and vital facilities targeted were destroyed. The area is under the control of armed opposition factions and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) notes that through this attack, Syrian regime forces have again unequivocally violated UN 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. An estimated 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.
