On Thursday, November 28, 2024, an airstrike and/or heavy artillery and missile bombardment of Sarmin, east of Idlib, Syria, left six civilians injured, including four men, one of them elderly, and a married couple. The attack, attributed to Syrian regime forces and/or Iranian military and/or the Russian military, struck densely populated residential neighborhoods and the popular market area. SNHR reported that a rocket directly hit Al-Najah School in Sarmin, partially destroying its schoolyard and causing moderate damage to its contents.

The bombardment on Sarmin left behind widespread devastation, with reports detailing both the physical destruction and the deep psychological impact on civilians. Syrian Civil Defense (@SyriaCivilDefe), which responded to the attack, described the chaotic rescue efforts, stating, “Our teams rushed to the scene in Sarmin to rescue the injured and extinguish fires caused by the relentless shelling targeting civilian homes.” Their reports indicated that among the injured was a married couple who sustained grave wounds, requiring emergency medical treatment.

The humanitarian impact extended beyond immediate casualties, with Al Moharer highlighting the destruction of a local school, reporting, “The bombardment destroyed parts of Al-Najah School, leaving its yard scorched and littered with debris. The community mourns the loss of a safe educational space for its children.” The psychological toll was equally severe, with Facebook user Halap describing the terror that gripped the town as homes crumbled and civilians fled in panic, stating, “Sarmin residents were struck with terror as their homes turned into rubble and flames engulfed the streets. Many families now face the unbearable reality of displacement.”

These harrowing images, shared by the Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets) on their official platforms, depicted the immediate aftermath of the reported shelling in Sarmin, Idlib. In one particularly poignant photograph, a man with a head wound lies on a stretcher, his face contorted in pain as responders work diligently to stabilize him. Blood-soaked bandages and visible injuries emphasized the severity of the trauma inflicted during the attack. Another image highlighted a rescue worker, clad in the distinctive yellow and blue uniform of the White Helmets, carefully transferring an injured man into an ambulance. The tension in his posture reflected the urgency of the situation. Nearby, paramedics worked in unison to maneuver another victim, who was immobilized and bandaged, onto a stretcher, illustrating the sheer scale of casualties requiring attention. Inside a dimly lit emergency room, medical personnel surrounded a patient, their gloved hands moving quickly to administer life-saving care. The stark lighting and scattered medical equipment conveyed the urgency of the effort, while the somber expressions of the team reflected the emotional toll of their work. Another photograph captured an elderly man, wrapped in a heavy coat and scarf, sitting inside an ambulance with a vacant, distant expression—a haunting reminder of the psychological scars such events leave behind.

Another somber image shared by the Syrian Civil Defense captured the quiet aftermath of a traumatic event. The photograph focuses on an injured man seated inside an ambulance, his head wrapped in thick, blood-stained bandages. Dust and dirt cling to his weathered coat, a stark contrast to the sterile, clinical environment of the ambulance’s interior.

A graphic video shared by Syrian Civil Defence on Facebook also showed injured civilians while the reporter said: “Air and artillery shelling on the city of [Sarmin] in the Idlib countryside resulted in serious civilian injuries.” The video showed how SCD volunteers were rushing into a hospital screaming, “Oh God! Oh God!” The loud screams of the injured man with a bandaged head treated by several doctors simultaneously were heard. Another young man was seen being treated for his leg injury. One more elderly male with a gray mustache and glasses was also being treated for a leg injury.

Another video shared by the Facebook account of the news outlet Al Mohrar showed the direct aftermath of the airstrike where thick clouds of white smoke are seen rising on the right side of the road. The photos provided by @SyriaCivilDefe and Atareb Media Office depicted precise and harrowing scenes of the destruction inflicted by the shelling. One image showed a vast, open schoolyard where a gaping crater had been carved into the asphalt, surrounded by chunks of concrete and scattered rubble. The damage extended to the school building itself, with shattered windows and cracks splintering its beige facade, revealing the immense force of the explosion that had struck dangerously close to an area meant for children.

Another image revealed a narrow street in the heart of the affected town. The shutters of small storefronts, once robust barriers, were grotesquely twisted and peeled away from their frames. Dust clung to the surrounding buildings and a lone three-wheeled cart, abandoned amidst the wreckage. The facades of buildings displayed deep cracks and crumbling plaster, while the debris of broken bricks, wood, and shattered glass filled the alleyway. A thin haze of dust hung in the air, a reminder of the chaos that had recently unfolded.

A third image captured a residential neighborhood from a distance. Thick columns of smoke billowed upwards, rising from multiple locations in the urban sprawl. Each plume represented a site of devastation, silhouetted against the blue sky. The residential blocks, with their flat roofs and light stone construction, appeared ghostly under the shadows of destruction, evoking a stark sense of loss.

When belligerents were identified, sources attributed responsibility for the attack to different belligerents, including  Syrian regime forces, the Russian military, and the Iranian military.  While Syrian Civil Defense and SNHR held Syrian regime forces responsible for the attack, the media “Sarmin we love you” blamed the regime and the Iranian military, and the news outlets Al Mohrar and Damas Post attributed the strike to the Russian military aircraft.

The local time of the incident is unknown.