On October 3rd, 2023, a man and a woman, Mohammed Sadek and Asoum Nahbhan were injured by alleged Syrian regime and/or Russian artillery shelling in the outskirts of Sarmin in the eastern countryside of Idlib. Asoum Nahbahn was reportedly moderately injured in the flank while Mohammed Sadek’s injury was described as slight.

The belligerent’s identity is contested, with some sources naming the Syrian regime forces, other sources the Russian military, and some naming both jointly. One Twitter/X post said the artillery shellings came from Assad’s forces “stationed at the surrounding checkpoints”.

Artillery shells reportedly touched the vicinity of the “Hussein Haj Aboud” primary school during official teaching hours. Baladi news reported that teachers had to end classes immediately after the incident for safety reasons and that the artillery shelling “created a great state of terror among the students and families.” The news correspondent claimed that while civilians at the school hadn’t been physically impacted, the external walls were damaged.

Several images taken by the Syrian Civil Defence show civilian homes affected by the attack, with some parts being demolished. Photos also show a tractor which allegedly caught on fire due to the artillery shells. Moreover, a gas station and a car dealership office were reportedly damaged by the incident.

Syrian Civil Defence intervened on the same day. According to two Twitter/X posts, the two injured were transferred to a hospital in Idlib.