ALEPPO, Syria — Airstrikes targeted schools in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Idlib on Friday, leaving extensive damage and raising fears of further escalation in the country’s protracted civil war.
Footage released by the White Helmets, a volunteer rescue group operating in rebel-held areas, showed a massive crater and heavily damaged buildings at a boys’ school in Aleppo. Debris was scattered around another school in Idlib that was also struck.
Reuters reported that it independently verified the locations of the strikes using satellite imagery and metadata from the original video files, confirming the attacks took place on Friday.
The airstrikes followed a significant advance by Syrian rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad, who reportedly swept through government-controlled towns and reached Aleppo on Friday in a surprise offensive.
On Saturday, the Syrian army reported that dozens of its soldiers had been killed during the attack, led by Islamist fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The army was forced to redeploy troops in response, marking one of the most significant challenges to Assad’s control in years.
Mounting humanitarian concerns
The strikes on schools underscore the intensifying toll of the conflict on civilians, particularly children, in northern Syria. The region remains a flashpoint in the ongoing battle between Assad’s forces and various rebel groups, with civilians often bearing the brunt of the violence.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called for the protection of schools and other civilian infrastructure in Syria, citing international laws that prohibit targeting such sites during conflict. However, the latest attacks highlight the continued disregard for these protections in a war that has displaced millions and left hundreds of thousands dead.
As the violence escalates, the international community faces mounting pressure to intervene diplomatically to prevent further suffering and loss of life.
