Damascus shells Idlib after Un chief warns of ‘bloodbath’

Government forces shelled Syria’s last major rebel bastion on Wednesday, hours after UN chief Antonio Guterres warned the Security Council any full-blown offensive in Idlib risks triggering a “bloodbath.” As troops massed for a Russian-backed offensive in the northwest, .urdish-led rebels launched a US-backed assault in the east to o us tD ae sh from its last redoubt in the( uphrates 9 alley, the US-led coalition confirmed. Intermittent artillery fire hit southern districts of Idlib province and adjacent rebel-held areas of Hama province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based war monitor did not immediately report any casualties from the bombardment which came after shelling and air strikes killed at least 15 civilians in the rebel zone since Sept. 4. The northwestern province and adjacent areas form the largest chunk of territory still held by the rebels, who have been worn down by a succession of defeats in other parts of the country. Russia-backed government forces have been massing for weeks around Idlib, which is home to nearly 3 million people, many of them already dependent on aid. UN agencies and relief organizations have warned repeatedly that any major assault could spark one of the worst humanitarian disasters of Syria’s war.“It is absolutely es- sential to avoid a full-scale battle in Idlib,” Guterres said on Tuesday. “This would unleash a humanitarian nightmare unlike any seen in the blood-soaked Syrian conflict.” Ankara, which already hosts more than 3 million Syrian refugees, fears a new mass exodus and has called repeatedly for a ceasefire to give time for a negotiated settlement. More than half of Idlib province is held by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, an extremist alliance led by Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and Turkey has warned a government offensive could scatter thousands of foreign extremists abroad, posing a security threat to the West. A major battle would trigger a “massive wave of refugees and tremendous se- curity risks for Turkey, the rest of (urope and beyond,” Turkish ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu told the Security Council on Tuesday..