Eight lives, including a child, were lost in a recent Syria firefight.

In the ongoing conflict in northwestern Syria, eight civilians, including a child, lost their lives on Monday as clashes erupted between the Syrian army, led by President Bashar Assad, and the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), formerly associated with Al-Qaeda. Additionally, 19 individuals sustained injuries during the exchange of gunfire, according to reports from a war monitoring group.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that HTS targeted the villages of Nubul and Zahraa in Aleppo province, both under the control of the Syrian regime. The attack resulted in the tragic deaths of an elderly man, a woman, and her young daughter, while 10 other civilians were wounded. The affected areas included a bakery, a mosque, a power plant, and a bustling market.

In response, the Syrian army retaliated by launching airstrikes on residential areas in Darat Izza town in Aleppo, resulting in the deaths of three civilians and injuries to nine others. The Observatory detailed the impact, pointing out that the bombardments affected critical infrastructure, such as a bakery, a mosque, a power plant, and a popular market.

Tragically, two more civilians lost their lives due to army artillery fire in the Aleppo village of Burj Haidar, as reported by the Observatory.

Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, along with other groups, currently holds control over significant portions of Idlib province and parts of neighboring Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia provinces.

The conflict in Syria, which originated from a severe government crackdown on protests inspired by the Arab Spring in 2011, has evolved into a devastating war involving foreign armies, militias, and jihadist groups. The toll on human life has been immense, with more than half a million people losing their lives.

Notably, last week, Russian airstrikes in Idlib province claimed the lives of five civilians from the same family, including three children, according to reports from rescuers and the Observatory. Russia has been a key supporter of President Assad, providing military, political, and economic support since its intervention in the civil war in 2015. The intervention has played a significant role in helping pro-Assad forces regain territory lost during the conflict.

Despite a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey in Idlib following a Syrian government offensive in March 2020, the truce has been consistently violated, leading to continued hostilities in the region.