Three killed, seven injured in missile attacks on Syria's Azaz: White Helmets

Missile attacks killed three civilians and injured seven others in northern Syria on Tuesday, according to the Syrian Civil Defence, otherwise known as the White Helmets.

The missiles were fired from regime and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces-controlled areas into residential neighbourhoods in opposition-held Azaz, a city north of Aleppo, where one child was injured, the humanitarian response group tweeted. 

"These repeated targeting of cities and towns in northwestern Syria are a clear violation of international and humanitarian law... while the international community fails to hold the perpetrators of these terrorist attacks accountable... civilians remain under direct targeting that threatens their lives," the White Helmets said in a statement.

Footage shows the moments of the missile attacks, which were fired from SDF and the regime-controlled areas, on the residential neighborhoods of #Azaz City, where 3 civilians were killed and 7 others injured, including a child. #WhiteHelmets pic.twitter.com/7OKivosYJV

— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) February 15, 2022

The missiles, which damaged a "large number of public and private properties", reportedly targeted a public park in the centre of Azaz, which was crowded with children and women.

The attack came hours after an explosion in the centre of Azaz injured 4 civilians, including three children, according to the White Helmets.

Three children and a man were injured in an IED explosion in #Azaz City, north #Aleppo today before the missile attacks hit the city. Our teams inspected the explosion site and secured it.#WhiteHelmets pic.twitter.com/BLqVIW7A7z

— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) February 15, 2022

Since the beginning of the year, the White Helmets say they have responded to more than 85 air and artillery attacks in the country, which have killed 37 and wounded 80 civilians.

Last October, the humanitarian response team celebrated the 7th anniversary of their founding in Idlib, where they paid tribute to their 292 volunteers who had died as a result of direct targeting or strikes by Syrian regime and Russian forces.

The war in Syria has killed over 500,000 civilians since it began in 2011, when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad violently cracked down on peaceful pro-democracy protesters.