At least 16 civilians including six children were among the dead when the Assad regime hit a de-escalation zone in northwest Syria on Wednesday.

The regime’s airstrikes in Idlib’s Maarat al Numan also injured 34 others, said British-based war monitor, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Regime jets also struck a variety of districts inside the Idlib de-escalation zone.

Turkey and Russia agreed last September to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone where acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

Under the deal, opposition groups in Idlib would remain in areas where they were already present, while Russia and Turkey would carry out joint patrols in the area to prevent a resumption of fighting.

The Syrian regime and its allies, however, have consistently broken the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.

(Source: TRTWorld and agencies)