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Bashar al-Assad's regime is gaining ground in the province of Idleb. Damascus and its allies are carrying out a violent offensive against this region of the northwest of the country, controlled mainly by jihadist groups affiliated to al-Qaeda. Millions of civilians find themselves in the middle of a battlefield.
New advances by Bashar al-Assad's regime in Idleb came as Russian warplanes continued to strike the south of the province. The strikes killed nine civilians who were trying to escape the fire zone on Sunday December 22, said the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The ground attack by loyalist forces of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad brings them closer to the largest urban centers of Syria's last major opposition stronghold. " It is destructive madness that is hitting the province of Idleb right now. It is especially the city of Maarat al-Noumane which is the hardest hit. Russian warplanes are conducting unprecedented bombing. Houses and living quarters have been completely razed. It is no more than a heap of ruins, "says Syrian opposition activist Abu al-Houda.
About 7,000 civilians under siege and bombardment
He also says: " My figures are not precise but there are almost 7,000 civilians, or perhaps more besieged and bombed in Maarat al-Noumane and the surrounding villages. Air raids make any escape impossible. These people are trapped, they cannot go anywhere. They suffered both air strikes but also mortar shell and rocket fire. "
The jihadist-dominated Idleb region is home to some three million people, including many displaced by years of violence in other parts of Syria.
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The Damascus regime, an ally of Russia, has repeatedly claimed to take over the area. The bombing continued despite a ceasefire announced in August, killing more than 290 people and hundreds of fighters on both sides.
Since December 16, intensified strikes by the regime and Russian allies on the Maarat al-Noumane region have forced tens of thousands of vulnerable people to flee the region, according to the United Nations.