Syria: Statement by the Spokesperson on the shelling of Maarat al-Naasan

On Monday, four children were killed on their way to school in the shelling by Syrian regime forces of Maarat al-Naasan, a town to the north of the Idlib region. The same town was also hit in February, when six people were killed, including two women and two children. It is another example of the atrocities caused by war.

Bombings and other attacks on civilians in north-west Syria must stop. Civilian casualties are unacceptable in any conflict; they are unacceptable in Ukraine, and they are unacceptable in Syria.

Eleven years after the Syrian uprising, the suffering of the civilian population across Syria continues. The European Union recalls that there is no military solution to the conflict in Syria. The only path to lasting peace and stability in the country is a credible and inclusive UN-facilitated political solution pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015).

The European Union will continue mobilising all the tools at its disposal in support of the Syrian people, to finally reach a negotiated political solution and help create the conditions for a brighter future for all Syrians. To ensure this remains a priority on the international agenda, the European Union will again this year host the sixth Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, on 10 May.

بيان المتحدث باسم الاتحاد الأوروبي يدين قصف قوات النظام بلدة معرة النعسان شمال إدلب، الذي أدى إلى مقتل أربعة أطفال في طريقهم إلى المدرسة.