Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, claims that the Syrian government killed five Turkish soldiers and three civilians in Idlib. Erdogan says he struck back by killing between 30 and 35 Syrian troops. Despite the ceasefire that was declared in Idlib in early January, violence is has continued in the Syrian city that is the last area still controlled by rebel forces. Since December of 2019, 500,000 people have fled their homes. In the last two months, over 290 civilian deaths have been reported, but the United Nations estimates that this number is much higher in actuality. The violence has caused thousands of families to take shelter in public places such as schools and mosques.
The situation in Idlib is marked by conflict instigated by several opposing groups. A significant portion of the territory is controlled by rebel groups, including some backed by Turkey. Another portion of territory is controlled by the Syrian government which is backed by Russia and considers the rebel groups terrorists that they are attempting to ward off in Idlib.
The UN Secretary General, in a recent statement about the situation in Syria said, “Military operations of all parties, including actions against and by designated terrorist groups, must respect the rules and obligations of international humanitarian law, which include the protection of civilians and civilian objects.” Additionally, humanitarian organizations have taken action in Syria by giving food to over 1.4 million civilians and health supplies to almost 200,000.
To read more visit:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/syrias-ceasefire-force-idlib-province-200112100101816.html
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/02/1056502
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51354545
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-45401474
Author: Noelle Musolino; Editor: Vito Quaglia
