Russian military forces killed and injured “dozens” of civilians in new airstrikes on behalf of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, U.S. officials charged Thursday.
Russian and Assad regime forces have pounded the last major rebel stronghold even as Western powers convened an international conference in Brussels to raise money for the Syrian refugees. The latest attacks on Idlib come just days after Russia and Turkey agreed to conduct joint patrols to maintain a ceasefire in the densely populated area.
“Despite Russia’s claims to be targeting terrorists, these operations have caused dozens of civilian casualties and have targeted first responders as they attempt to save lives on the ground,” State Department deputy spokesman Robert Palladino said Thursday. “These abhorrent attacks on civilian infrastructure and on settlements for internally displaced people must end now.”
Fourteen civilians were killed Wednesday night, according to the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, days after an airstrike on a local hospital.
“Civilians are being attacked; if hospitals are put out of service there will be nowhere for them to turn,” Khaula Sawah, vice president of USSOM-USA, said Thursday evening. “How many more lives have to be lost for responsible parties to finally take action and put an end to the violence? Attacking a hospital is a war crime plain and simple. This must be stopped now.”
The strikes alarmed the Brussels conference, where U.S. officials pledged almost $400 million to aid Syrian refugees. Russia also sent an envoy, while demanding that Western powers spend the financial aid in territory controlled by Assad.
“Russia bears full responsibility for these offensive operations,” Palladino said. “We call on all parties, including Russia and the Syrian regime, to abide by their commitments and de-escalate violence in the area, protect all civilians, including humanitarian aid workers, and allow unhindered humanitarian access to address the humanitarian disaster created by the Assad regime’s forces.”
