UN will investigate attacks on Idlib humanitarian facilities

The UN has said it will investigate a series of attacks on affiliated humanitarian facilities and civilian infrastructure in opposition areas of northwest Syria, it was announced on Thursday.

Bashar al-Assad's regime and Russia have been blamed by activists on attacks on medical facilities, homes and other civilian targets.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hoped a truce for the Idlib region, announced by the Syrian regime on Thursday, would hold despite the sceptism of many activists.

"I hope that the present dramatic situation that is taking place will end," he told reporters.

A Russian-backed regime assault on Idlib began on April, with medical facilities and schools hit in the bombing.

The wave of attacks has forced more than 400,000 people from their homes, the United Nation says, with around 800 civilians killed.

"The investigation will cover destruction of, or damage to facilities on the deconfliction list and UN-supported facilities in the area," a spokesman for Guterres said in a statement announcing the inquiry.

"The Secretary-General urges all parties concerned to cooperate with the board once it has been established," he added.

Russia has been blamed for the attacks on medical facilities, the majority of which were targeted after coordinates were shared with the UN and passed on to the warring parties.

After the UN made the announcement of the probe, Russia's Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy the move, saying that reports it carried out attacks on hospitals were "fake news".

"We doubt very much that this is for the sake of an investigation. This is for the sake of blaming Syria and Russia for things that we do not do," he told reporters.

Ten of 15 UN Security Council members called on Guterres to probe the attacks on medical facilities. UK Ambassador Karen Pierce said the creation of a board of inquiry is "a good first step".

"I fully respect the right of the Russian Federation to disagree with me, as I also respect the position of 10 other members of the Security Council that had the opposite opinion," Guterres said about Russia's criticism.

Syria's war has killed around 500,000 people, the vast majority civilians from regime and Russian bombing.