Over 230,000 people flee Idlib in two-week Russian-backed offensive - U.N.

[rooster59]

Over 230,000 people flee Idlib in two-week Russian-backed offensive - U.N.

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

 

FILE PHOTO: People walk near rubble of damaged buildings in the city of Idlib, Syria May 27, 2019. Picture taken May 27, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo

 

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United Nations said 235,000 civilians had fled their homes in rebel-held northwestern Syria during a Russian-backed campaign of air strikes and shelling this month.

 

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the exodus had taken place between Dec. 12 and 25.

 

Most people had fled the city of Maarat al-Numan, towns and villages in southern Idlib province, Idlib city, and camps along the Syrian-Turkish border, OCHA said.

 

"With the latest escalation of violence in northwest Syria, civilians in Idlib governorate are again suffering from the devastating consequences of hostilities," it said.

 

OCHA said Maarat al-Numan and the surrounding countryside "are reportedly almost empty".

 

Syrian forces are advancing on Maarat al-Numan.

 

Thousands of families were also reported to be too frightened to move, fearing air strikes and shelling.

 

Abu al-Majd Nasser, who fled to the border with his family from the town of Telmanas, said Russian President Vladimir Putin "wants to kill every Syrian who opposes the regime".

 

Moscow and Damascus deny claims of indiscriminate bombing of civilians, saying say they are fighting jihadist militants.

 

Rescue services and witnesses say hostilities have left many towns in ruins and knocked out dozens of medical centres.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken out against the "carnage" involving thousands of civilians in Syria.

 

"Russia, Syria, and Iran are killing, or on their way to killing, thousands of innocent civilians in Idlib province. Don't do it! Turkey is working hard to stop this carnage," Trump said on Twitter on Thursday.

 

The Syrian army said this week it had seized more than 300 km of territory in the assault to end "terrorist" control of Idlib, killing hundreds of "terrorists".

 

Taking Maarat al-Numan would take the Syrian army into densely populated rebel-held parts of Idlib province, where millions of people who fled fighting elsewhere in Syria have taken refuge.

 

The Russian and Syrian advance towards Idlib is also piling pressure on Turkey, which has a presence in the area and is seen by many civilians as a protector against Russian strikes.

 

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his country cannot handle a fresh wave of migrants from Syria, warning that Europe will feel the impact of such an influx if the bombing is not stopped.

 

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Giles Elgood)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-28

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[ezzra]

In carcull

39 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Russian-backed campaign of air strikes and shelling this month

In this carefully worded article it doesn't make it clear that Russia is actively in systematic obliteration of thousands of people with air bombing, artillery and armored shelling of civilians decimated towns and villages, and what the world says about it? well except for Trump, while all the other loud mouths this time keeps their mouth shuts...

[Lungstib]

Syria is probably the best example of the futility of perpetrating war on a nations opinion of a leader. No matter who has dropped the bombs or pulled the trigger the civilian population has suffered immensely with an estimated 500,000 deaths and 7 million fleeing the country. The international community, and I mean all sides, have done nothing but add to the numbers in their quest for a friendly leader in the rubble that remains. Its tragic and pitiful, a monument to our stupidity.

[fruitman]

Typical fake news picture, that tree grew there within few days? And the weed also suddenly grew very fast? The plaster blew ALL of the walls, even the door post is missing.

 

[sawadeeken]

1 hour ago, fruitman said:

Typical fake news picture, that tree grew there within few days? And the weed also suddenly grew very fast? The plaster blew ALL of the walls, even the door post is missing.

 

Can you explain what you mean.... JUST A BIT more... Tree grow in days.... Weeds.... Plaster blown off.... Door post missing......... I cant figure out 'what point you are making'??????

I know... In Thailand we are getting accustomed to 'fake news'....... BUT this picture doesn't look like they were having a party on the roof when it caved in..... And what about the civilians standing there looking in shock......

Please clarify what you were trying to describe.... Thanks....

[fruitman]

7 minutes ago, sawadeeken said:

Can you explain what you mean.... JUST A BIT more... Tree grow in days.... Weeds.... Plaster blown off.... Door post missing......... I cant figure out 'what point you are making'??????

I know... In Thailand we are getting accustomed to 'fake news'....... BUT this picture doesn't look like they were having a party on the roof when it caved in..... And what about the civilians standing there looking in shock......

Please clarify what you were trying to describe.... Thanks....

Solly mate, this site is for adults....others also understood it, look at the likes they gave.

 

In the mall they have a school called Igenius, for toddlers but they might also accept adults, worth a try me thinks.

[simple1]

2 hours ago, fruitman said:

Typical fake news picture, that tree grew there within few days? And the weed also suddenly grew very fast? The plaster blew ALL of the walls, even the door post is missing.

 

So what? Idlib has been established as a killing zone by the Russians and Assad for a long time as the islamists were given safe passage whenever they pulled out of other conflict zones in Syria. Additionally Idlib has previously been bombed by Russian and Syrian forces. There is a major problem for the millions of civilians in the area as Turkey has refused to accept any more refugees.

 

Trump has been useless in finding a solution to bring an end to the killing, exacerbated by his constant policy U turns with Turkey and others.

[simple1]

3 hours ago, fruitman said:

So what? I read the news to get independent reporting and i hate fake news. 

 

CNN-BBC-NPO are feeding us fake news all days long and that's unacceptable.!

Out of curiosity what independent sources do you access for international news.

 

My point is it is not 'fake news' that civilian building, including hospitals, are being deliberately targeted & destroyed in Idlib by Russian and Syrian forces as has been going on for years in Syria. Bombing of idlib has been going on for a long time If in fact (google image search claims from Idlib) a photo of a building is from another period of time is basically irrelevant.

 

BBC has had a number of stories covering Idlib. In your opinion is the following example 'fake news" or can you actually point to 'fake news' by BBC / CNN coverage of Syria.

 

The US says it has carried out an attack on leaders of a group it calls al-Qaeda in Syria, in the country's rebel-held Idlib province.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49538528

[fruitman]

1 hour ago, simple1 said:

Out of curiosity what independent sources do you access for international news.

 

My point is it is not 'fake news' that civilian building, including hospitals, are being deliberately targeted & destroyed in Idlib by Russian and Syrian forces as has been going on for years in Syria. Bombing of idlib has been going on for a long time If in fact (google image search claims from Idlib) a photo of a building is from another period of time is basically irrelevant.

 

BBC has had a number of stories covering Idlib. In your opinion is the following example 'fake news" or can you actually point to 'fake news' by BBC / CNN coverage of Syria.

 

The US says it has carried out an attack on leaders of a group it calls al-Qaeda in Syria, in the country's rebel-held Idlib province.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49538528

I'm not going to find the article but i remember the video of last month where they showed a weapon show from the USA, a huge one with audience and they told the world that it was a bombing in Syria or Kurdistan done by Turkye iirc.....

 

Some days later they found the real movie from that war weapon show of the US but they had photoshopped it so we couldn't see the audience.

 

That's really not done to fool the world like that and i despise reporters like that.

 

For the rest i don't care much about Syria, it's far from home and caused by Bush and his weapons of mass destruction which he never found.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/28/2019 at 11:17 AM, rooster59 said:

civilians in Idlib governorate are again suffering from the devastating consequences of hostilities," it said.

Blame the rebels for it then. The outcome is obviously going to be the regime winning, so if the rebels would stop fighting ( in exchange for safe passage out ), the civilians would not be in harm's way.

Seems to me that the UN wants the regime to tolerate a bunch of rebels to carry on plotting the destruction of the regime in the country.

I am not saying that I support the regime, just stating the facts as I see them.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, simple1 said:

Out of curiosity what independent sources do you access for international news.

Are there any "independent sources"?

Most if not all media is owned by someone like Murdoch or government owned but run by people with an agenda.

The least biased news that i know of is Al Jazeera, but obviously they are somewhat biased when it comes to Islam.

[thaibeachlovers]

17 hours ago, simple1 said:

Trump has been useless in finding a solution to bring an end to the killing, exacerbated by his constant policy U turns with Turkey and others.

Blaming Trump for everything again!

It's nothing to do with Trump, IMO- he's not responsible for the rebellion in Syria which started before he was president, and the US should never have been involved with it in any shape or form anyway, IMO. Thank Obama for getting the US involved.

The US is not responsible for everything that happens in the world and it's not the US's job to be the world's policeman.

[simple1]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Blaming Trump for everything again!

It's nothing to do with Trump, IMO- he's not responsible for the rebellion in Syria which started before he was president, and the US should never have been involved with it in any shape or form anyway, IMO. Thank Obama for getting the US involved.

The US is not responsible for everything that happens in the world and it's not the US's job to be the world's policeman.

Nonsense. It was Bush administration who made a number of foolish policy decision that ended up with the formation of ISIS. US still has ownership of the end results. Obama administration policy concerning the destruction of IS was well on track when trump came to power. It is generally acknowledged that trump administration broadly carried on the same path as Obama regards destruction of ISIS  However, the US has not completed the job with a resurgence of IS in Iraq with an estimated 10,000 'fighters'. IMO trump has not contributed to easing the suffering and killing in Syria & Iraq with his dalliance with Turkey and Russia as well as further destabilising Iran without a Plan B., in fact trump has contributed to the ongoing Assad cruel and evil dictatorship.

[Rimmer]

A couple of troll posts have been removed