A ground attack by Syrian regime forces on a village mosque in the Jabal al-Zaweya region in the southern suburbs of Idlib governorate on July 13, 2020, severely damaged much of the mosque building and some of its interior furnishings. The regime forces, stationed near Kafranbel city, also in the governorate’s southern suburbs, shelled the Shamali Mosque in al-Mozara village, inflicting massive destruction on the mosque building, as well as damaging its furnishings. SNHR can confirm that the mosque is located within a residential area and is free of any military presence or equipment.
Through this action, the Syrian regime has, without doubt, committed another violation of Security Council resolutions 2139 and 2254, which prohibited any further indiscriminate attacks, as well as violating the rules of international humanitarian law which stress the distinction between civilians and combatants. Such attacks spread panic and terror among civilians, leading them to flee their lands and homes seeking safety, and forcibly displacing them, with the number of internally displaced persons in Syria currently estimated at approximately 6.5 million Syrian citizens. The international community should put pressure on the Syrian regime and its allies to compensate the displaced victims, rehabilitate homes and vital centers, support the process of political transition and put pressure on all parties to implement the political transition process according to a strict timetable which must not exceed six months, which would enable millions of IDPs to return homes.
