Over 70 children killed in Syria last month

At least 267 Syrian civilians were killed in August according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. The casualties were predominantly caused by the regime and Russia, and those dead included one journalist and five medical and civil defence personnel (known as the White Helmets).

Among those dead were 25 people killed under torture, while 72 children and 21 women were among the total number of victims.

The report added that regime forces killed 130 civilians, while Russian forces killed 60 civilians. Two civilians were killed by the Islamic State group and one by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Syria's al-Qaeda affiliate.

The report called on the UN Security Council to take further action to protect Syrian civilians, and stressed the need for all those those involved, including the Russian regime, to be held account for their crimes.  

The Russian Defence Ministry announced on Friday that a ceasefire would take effect in the rebel-held region of Idlib in northwestern Syria.

Activists in Idlib province have been calling for Syrians to protest against the regime’s bloody assault, which began in late April and has killed 1,248 people according to Syrian first responders.  At least 450,000 people have been displaced with refugee camps being unable to take them in.

The Syrian conflict began in 2011, following the brutal suppression of protests by the Assad regime.