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Syrian regime forces destroy, dig up graves near Idlib
A video clip raised a wave of outrage on Facebook, which showed a group of Shabiha regime forces inside a cemetery in the town of Khan al-Sabil in Idlib countryside, as they destroyed a grave and chanted profanity while exhuming it, after the Syrian regime and its allies took control of several villages in Idlib.
In the video, a soldier called Samer Halloum, nicknamed "The Bald," who recently vowed revenge against the dead and alive, appeared in the video, promising that he would excavate the cemetery.
The grave in the videotape is the grave of Muhanna Ammar Al-Din - Abu Mujahid, which is one of the symbols of the revolution in the Idlib countryside in its peaceful and military phases, who was murderd six years ago.
The Syrian regime's shabiha’s promises to kill the people of Idlib escalate, coinciding with the progress of the Shabiha towards new villages and areas that have spiraled out of the regime’s control and demanded its overthrow.
The incident took place at the Khan al-Sabil cemetery in Idlib, after the progress made by Syrian regime soldiers backed by Iranian militias and Russian air and ground forces.
On Saturday, the Syrian regime and its militias took control of the entire city of Saraqib in Idlib, which is the meeting point between two international routes linking several provinces.
It is worth mentioning that these actions adopted by the regime's shabiha are not the first of their kind, and they became known to carry out violations against civilians in the cities they enter. Still, this time they did not spare even the dead from their attacks.
“After 9 years, this is the best Assad can offer to Syrians,” Mr. Revinky said in the tweet.
#Syria #Idlib
Footage showing #SAA soldiers inside a cemetery in Khan al-Sabil deconsecrating the graves of people killed in Idlib.
After 9 years, this is the best #Assad can offer to Syrians. pic.twitter.com/xtpY9p1p7x
— MrRevinsky (@Kyruer) 8 February 2020
Another video shared by user Beritan showed almost all graves in a yard destroyed. A man in the video can be heard saying, “Be careful, there are many open graves … be careful not to slip.”
Rejim Askerleri, dün Özgür Suriye Ordusu (ÖSO)'ya ait mezarlığa girip taşları kırıp döktüler. Daha önce de Suriye Demokratik Güçleri'ne ait mezarlar ÖSO militanları tarafından büyük tahribata uğramıştı. Her iki tarafında birbirinden farkı yok... pic.twitter.com/t7OPrmTvYN
— Beritan (@brtn_x) 9 February 2020
The Syrian regime announced on Sunday it had recaptured more than 600 square kilometers of territory so far in its campaign in Idlib province.
The Idlib region is home to around three million people, half of whom were evacuated by regime forces from other parts of the country after forces beseigned cities controlled by the opposition and bombarded them with airstrikes.
The Syrian army has taken control of dozens of towns and villages in recent days as part of the campaign, a statement from the armed forces said.
The Syrian regime has been bombarding the area around the strategic city of Saraqib, Idlib, which is the intersection of two major highways between the capital Damascus and second city Aleppo.
The clashes have also strained relations between Russia, which backs the regime, and Turkey, which supports opposition groups in the area.
