New wave of violence in Syria war as 200,000 flee Idlib offensive: ‘There were bombs every minute’

A Syrian government offensive to capture the northern province of Idlib has killed dozens of civilians and forced more than 200,000 people to flee over the past month, leading to fears of a major humanitarian crisis in the last rebel-held bastion.

The Syrian army, backed by its ally Russia, launched an attack in late April aimed at retaking key roads and trade routes around Idlib and northern Hama, which the government sees as vital to consolidating its control over the north of the country.

At least 18 hospitals have been targeted and put out of action by the intensive bombing campaign, according to the World Health Organisation, and dozens of civilians have been killed in the worst violence to hit the province since last summer.

Amnesty International said it had documented a “deliberate and systematic assault” by Russian and Syrian government forces on hospitals and other medical facilities, which together constituted “crimes against humanity”.

Read the full article and more in The Independent.