Syrian regime, Russia launch attack on Idlib, Aleppo

The Syrian regime and Russia launched attacks on northwestern Syria on Saturday, according to The New Arab's Arabic-language service site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed and the Syrian Civil Defence, otherwise known as the White Helmets..

The regime and its European ally launched air strikes and artillery shelling in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo – the only remaining provinces in Syria that are respectively wholly and partly held by the Syrian opposition.

Areas targeted in Idlib include the town of Kafridin and Hafsarja village – where a worker was injured and later rushed to hospital - according to the White Helmets

The Sheikh Youssef village in Idlib was also affected, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Areas targeted in Aleppo include the city of Attarb, according to The White Helmets, and the towns of Kafr Noran and al-Qasr, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

This comes hours after Syrian state media reported that an Israeli strike near Damascus airport killed five soldiers.

However, the regime’s Ministry of Transport confirmed the airport would continue to “operate normally” throughout the day. 

The ongoing Syrian conflict began in 2011 following the brutal suppression of pro-democracy protests by the Assad regime. 

Over 500,000 people have been killed and millions more have been displaced since then, mostly as result of regime bombardment of civilian areas.

Over 11 years after it began, the war is at risk of boiling up once more with a return to large-scale combat after several frontlines across the country flared up in recent months, the United Nations warned.