Two Syrian toddlers kidnapped and murdered in Idlib

Idlib province has been left in shock after two toddlers abducted on Saturday were returned dead to their families the following day. 

One woman suspect has been arrested in connection with the case, the Syrian TV channel Levant 24 reported on Monday.

The two children, Khaled and Fatima, were two cousins living in Al-Wafa, a camp for internally displaced Syrians located near the city of Atma in Idlib province.

Their families did not receive any explanation nor request for ransom, but the bodies were returned with a note saying this was a "gift" for the fathers, Sheikh Emad al-Hamawi - a local imam - and his brother. 

Speaking in front of cameras from local media, Emad Al-Hamawi implored the Salvation Government ruling over Idlib to find the killers.

Many Syrians reacted to the dramatic case on social media, highlighting the "unspeakable brutality" of daily life in Syria.

Yesterday, an unknown gang kidnapped two Syrian kids, Khaled and Fatima (3 and 4 years old), from a camp they lived in around Atma N #Idlib.
Today, they were found around the same camp dead, beaten, and strangled.#Syria unspeakable brutality :( pic.twitter.com/AHOBealK7N

— Hussam Hammoud (@HussamHamoud) February 20, 2022

The shocking double-murder echoes the recent plight of eight-year-old Fawaz Al-Qetifan, a young boy from Daraa province in southern Syria who was abducted, tortured, and eventually handed back to his family after they managed to collect a ransom worth 500 million Syrian liras (approximately $138,000).

An online campaign was launched under the hashtag #SaveFawaz and the family eventually managed to get back their child.

Kidnappings happen with relative frequency in Syria, due to general lawlessness and the proliferation of armed gangs.

This is particularly the case in the southern provinces of Daraa and Suwaida, plagued by rampant insecurity, but other provinces in Syria have also witnessed an increase in brutality - including child abuse and feminicides.