Video: Anti-regime protests break out across Syria

Pro-Syrian opposition protests re-ignited on Friday across rebel-held parts of the country, as people took to the street to reject a new ceasefire agreement, brokered by Iran, Turkey and Russia.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

30 December, 2016

Syria - Idlib protests

Anti-regime activists defied ongoing regime airstrikes across rebel-held areas of Syria on Friday to launch a series of protests against the government.

Although the country's civil society has reacted negatively to a new ceasefire which could leave Bashar al-Assad's regime in power at least until the next general election, activists took advantage of the lull in bombing to hold protests.

Regime forces responded to demonstrations in the rebel-held town of Douma, near Damascus, with heavy shelling. Twenty-one civilians have reportedly died in the Damascus countryside town over the last twenty-four hours.

Regime bombs are reported to have hit civilian locations in the villages of Arbaain, Latamna, Helfaya, Zuwar and Zakat in Hama province on Friday, despite the terms of the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, in Idlib province, Fatah al-Sham - a formerly al-Qaeda group excluded from the ceasefire - attempted to break up protests.

However, violence is markedly down and given civil society an opportunity to reemerge from the ashes of Syria's ongoing war.

Douma (Damascus province)

Idlib town

Twitter Post

al-Itareb (West of Aleppo)

Sarmada (Idlib province)

Editor's note: A previously published version of this article contained a Facebook post from Idlib that was incorrectly labelled as having come from Talbiseh. It has been removed.