EU warns against military offensive in Syria

The EU warned on Monday that airstrikes carried out by the Bashar al-Assad regime and Russia would lead to "catastrophic human and humanitarian consequences" in Idlib and Hama provinces in northern Syria.

Answering a question on casualties caused by regime and Russian airstrikes in Syria's Idlib, EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said: "There are a lot of suffering and the military offensive in Idlib is not to go ahead."

"We continue to stand and talk to various interlocutors in this issue," Kocijancic added.

At least 17 people were wounded on Monday by airstrikes carried out by regime and Russian warplanes in Idlib and Hama provinces in northern Syria.

Since the beginning of this month, at least 29 civilians have been killed and dozens injured in airstrikes and attacks by regime forces and Russian warplanes in Idlib and Hama , according to the White Helmets.

An Assad regime helicopter on Saturday dropped a barrel bomb on a hospital in Has village in Idlib rendering it useless.

The Syrian regime has recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive in the area, which has long been controlled by various armed opposition groups.

The UN warned last week that such an offensive would lead to the "worst humanitarian catastrophe in the 21st century".

A trilateral summit of the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran on Friday underlined that “there could be no military solution to the Syrian conflict" and called for advancing the political process to reach a negotiated solution.