UK condemns surge in violence in Syria's Idlib

LONDON

Britain on Tuesday condemned the recent escalation of violence in Syria’s Idlib province following increased military action by Russia and the Syrian regime.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was deeply concerned by the latest developments in the region.

“This has included horrifying reports of attacks on schools, hospitals and first responders as well as the use of barrel bombs for the first time in seven months,” Hunt said, noting that more than 57 civilians have been killed and over 150,000 forced from their homes in recent days.

He said the latest offensive, “a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement that Russia itself agreed with Turkey, is only compounding what was already a dire humanitarian situation in Idlib”.

Hunt urged Russia and Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime to respect their obligations under the Sochi agreement and international humanitarian law.

“They must also remember that any future use of chemical weapons in Syria would be met with a swift and appropriate response,” he added.

Last September, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Syria’s northern Idlib province into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression would be expressly prohibited.