Syrian regime shelling kills six civilians in rebel-held areas of Aleppo province

Six civilians were killed and 11 others were injured, including two children, an infant, and two women, by artillery and rocket shelling by the Syrian regime on Monday.

According to the Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, the shelling targeted the rebel-held town of Darat Izza and the villages of Kabashin and Burj Heidar in the west of Aleppo province.

The White Helmets' media office said that three deaths occurred in Darat Izza, two in the village of Burj Heidar, and one in Kabashin village.

They added said that some of the injuries were critical and reported that rescue and ambulance teams were finding it difficult to reach the injured due to the continued intense regime shelling ofresidential areas and roads.

According to a post by the White Helmets on social media, the shelling in the city of Darat Izza targeted a public electricity utility, the city's bakery, mosque, market, and civilian homes.

Damage to civilian property and public facilities (an electricity utility, a bakery, a mosque, and a market) in the city of Darat Izza, west of #Aleppo, as a result of artillery and missile shelling by regime forces, today, Monday, January 1. The attack killed 3 civilians and… pic.twitter.com/ucIlNPcjoi

— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) January 1, 2024

Several towns in the eastern Idlib countryside suspended schools on Monday as a result of the regime attacks.

On Sunday evening, Syrian regime forces targeted residential neighbourhoods and popular markets in the city of Idlib, injuring eight civilians, including three women and two children, according to the Syrian Civil Defense.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said in its annual report that 1032 civilians were killed in Syria in 2023, including 181 children, 150 women, and 57 individuals, due to torture.