UN alleges war crimes during Syria’s Idlib offensive

SYRIA - War crimes and possible crimes against humanity were committed during the battle for Syria’s oppositionheld Idlib province, a UN investigation said on Tuesday. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said people endured “unfathomable suffering” during the campaign launched in late 2019 by pro-regime forces to retake the last remaining areas in the country held by armed groups. “Children were shelled at school, parents were shelled at the market, patients were shelled at the hospital, and entire families were bombarded even while fleeing,” said commission chair Paulo Pinheiro. Syrian

President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, supported by Russia, in December relaunched its offensive against the northwestern region, which is dominated by the Hay’et Tahrir alSham (HTS) armed group. A precarious truce brokered by Russia and rebel-backer Turkey came into force in early March. (Al Jazeera)