At Least 25 Civilians Killed in Russian Airstrikes in Idlib in New Violation of Truce

Press Release

Media Department

Syrian Coalition

March 16, 2017

The Russian air force committed a horrible massacre claiming the lives of over 25 civilians, mostly children and women, in the city of Idlib on Wednesday. Russian jets bombed an apartment building in the district of Qusour using vacuum bombs, which caused the building to collapse. Three Russian airstrikes also targeted the residential neighborhoods in the city earlier on Thursday.

The Syrian Coalition condemns this heinous crime which represents a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement. Russia bears full political and legal responsibility for this crime and for consequences that will follow from it.

The Coalition renews calls on the UN Security Council and guarantors of the ceasefire agreement to assume their responsibilities to stop these crimes. Urgent action needs to be taken to ensure full implementation of the agreement and to hold accountable those who violate it. The Coalition warns of attempts to exploit the agreement to achieve goals that the Russian aggressors and the Assad regime failed to achieve through other means.