20 Aug 2021; MEMO: Four Syrian children were killed today and two civilians injured in shelling by the Assad regime and Iranian-affiliated groups, in breach of a truce, according to Syria Civil Defence.
Regime forces stationed in the village of Biske in the northwestern Idlib province violated the ceasefire by shelling villages in the province's de-escalation zone.
The attack took place in Idlib's village of Kansafra, said Syria Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets.
Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia in March 2020.
The regime and its allies, however, have consistently violated the terms, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.
Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.
In the past decade, around half a million people have been killed and more than 12 million had to flee their homes.
