The U.S. Condemns 'Syrian Government Attacks' on a School and Hospital

The U.S. State Department says it is 'deeply concerned' about reports of deadly attacks carried out by Bashar al-Assad's forces on a school and hospital in the Damascus area, and it 'strongly condemns' them. According to AFP, the attack on Thursday, April 1, left 'more than 30 dead' in the 'Deir al-Asafir' area near Damascus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, reported at least 33 fatalities, including children and civilian aid workers among the dead. According to the Associated Press, the attack on the school and hospital in 'Deir al-Asafir' is one of the deadliest attacks involving civilian casualties since the ceasefire began in Syria. John Kirby, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated, 'We strongly condemn these attacks that are directly against civilians.' The U.S. State Department emphasized the 'commitment that the Syrian government has made to refrain from attacking areas covered by the ceasefire agreement' and 'the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution,' stating that 'any attack targeting civilians must cease immediately.' The United States asserts that the success of peace negotiations and the establishment of a political transition in Syria depends on all parties respecting the ceasefire and implementing its provisions. The Syrian ceasefire, which began weeks ago through an agreement between the U.S. and Russia, is seen as a starting point for a new round of negotiations between Assad's representatives and his opponents. The ceasefire does not include two groups that the UN considers terrorist, namely 'Islamic State' and 'Jabhat al-Nusra.' The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the events of Thursday were a 'series of attacks,' but it was initially unclear who was responsible for them. The Syrian government claims that the 'Jabhat al-Nusra' group is active in the eastern outskirts of Damascus. However, Assad's opponents accuse government forces of targeting civilians. The Syrian civil war began following the suppression of largely peaceful protests against Mr. Assad's government. Over the past five years, Syria has become a center for Islamist groups such as the 'Islamic State' or al-Qaeda affiliates. More than 270,000 people have lost their lives in this extensive crisis. A U.S.-led coalition is conducting attacks against the Islamic State in Syria. Russian army forces have also entered the campaign in support of Bashar al-Assad's allies. Monitoring organizations have, in some cases, accused both the coalition and Russian forces of carrying out attacks that have included civilian casualties.