Syria's Khan Sheikhoun under attack in latest Idlib bombing

Syria's Khan Sheikhoun under attack in latest Idlib bombing
Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province was exposed to heavy bombing on Thursday.
2 min read
23 May, 2019
Khan Sheikoun has come under heavy bombing again [Getty]


A Syrian village previously targeted by with deadly nerve agent by regime forces has come under attack again, with Khan Sheikhoun struck by bombs and artillery on Thursday.

Videos shared by activists showed Khan Sheikhoun being hit by several explosions on Thursday, as an assault on opposition Idlib province continues.

"Scenes of #WhiteHelmets team work, from inspecting the targeted areas by the heavy shelling and warplanes airstrikes on #KhanSheikhoun City, to extinguishing the fires in the residential neighborhoods of the city," the White Helmets civil rescue team said on Thursday.

Images shared by activists on social media showed heavy destruction to the village with dead bodies on the street. There has been no confirmation of the death toll from the attack.

Dozens of families have already been evacuated from Khan Sheikhoun due to the risk of bombing.

Idlib has come under a ferocious three-week offensive by regime and Russian forces, although bombing has been scaled down in recent days.

Khan Sheikhoun, which lies close to the frontlines, has been heavily targeted by regime and Russian bombers.

The Union of Medical Care & Relief Organisations reported that 229 civilians have been killed in the assault on opposition areas of Idlib and Hama.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that 665 people have been killed in 23 days of bombing.

Khan Sheikhoun was also subjected to a horrific chemical attack in 2017, which left around 100 people dead, resulting in retaliatory strikes by the US.

There have been reports of chlorine being used in the opposition province this month, according to the Idlib Health Directorate.