Syria: Assad regime attacks Idlib 6,422 times in March

By Burak Karacaoglu and Esref Musa </p> <p>IDLIB, Syria (AA) – The Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and Iran-backed terror groups have attacked Idlib’s de-escalation zone 6,422 times in March, according to the White Helmets civil defense agency.</p> <p>Violating the agreement between Turkey and Russia signed on Sept. 17, 2018, regime forces continue to attack Idlib's south and southeast and Hama’s north and northwest regions. </p> <p>According to the data Anadolu Agency collected from the White Helmets, the pro-regime forces attacked Hama for 3,950 times, Aleppo for 299 times and Idlib for 2,087 times with rockets both from land and air. </p> <p>White Helmets also recorded 86 airstrikes from the regime forces on civilians in Idlib. </p> <p>According to a report published by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) on April 2, a total of 135 civilians lost their lives in the Assad regime, Iran-backed terrorist groups and Russia's attacks in March. </p> <p>Between Feb. 9 and April 6, 160,583 civilians from 25,776 families were forced to migrate to areas near the Turkish border, according to local NGOs. </p> <p>Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in last September to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression would be strictly prohibited. </p> <p>Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected severity. </p> <p> </p> <p>* Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic