UNITED NATIONS, July 23 (Xinhua) -- After one of the deadliest bombings and shellings in nearly three months in northwest Syria, leaving at least 66 civilians killed and 100 wounded, the United Nations on Tuesday called for an end to such attacks.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the world body calls for attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Syria to come to an end and for areas to be made accessible for humanitarian assistance.
Mark Cutts, the deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis, expressed concern on the mounting civilian casualties in the Idlib area, after one of the deadliest attacks on civilian areas in the past three months took place Monday, Haq said.
"In the attack, at least 66 civilians were killed and over 100 women, children and men were wounded in scores of airstrikes and shelling incidents in multiple locations across the northwest," the spokesman said.
The worst raid was an airstrike on a popular public market in Maarat al-Numan, which left at least 39 dead, including eight women and five children, and many more injured, he said, adding that the casualty count is expected to rise further.
Since the end of April, the United Nations has documented over 400 civilian deaths in the Syrian northwest in total, Haq said, reminding parties to the conflict and those who have influence over them of their obligation to protect civilians and the principles of distinction and proportionality enshrined in international humanitarian law.
The spokesman said UN also called for the upholding of the September 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and Turkey on establishing a demilitarized zone in the region.
