Government shelling forces school closure in Syria’s Ariha
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – On Sunday, the educational complex in the city of Ariha, south of Idlib, suspended the school day in Ariha due to Syrian government and Russian shelling.
The statement issued by the complex, which is affiliated with the Education Board in Idlib, stated, “The school day will be suspended on Monday, March 22, 2021, for one day due to the Russian aircrafts and Syrian government forces’ shelling on Ariha and its vicinities with heavy artillery shells.”
The statement added, “The school day in the schools of Ariha and its villages will be turned into an online education process according to the Idlib Education Board’s instructions.”
The school management is under the supervision of the Education Board; some are affiliated with organizations operating in the education field.
The Board was formerly affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government, a Syrian opposition government based in Turkey and associated with the Syrian National Coalition, but after the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-affiliated (HTS) Salvation Government took control over the area, the Board began to function independently of the government.
On Sunday, Syrian government forces and Russian aircraft intensified aerial and ground shelling on several military sites in the governorates of Idlib and Aleppo, targeting vital facilities and inflicting dozens of casualties.
Meanwhile, Syrian opposition groups responded to the shelling by targeting the posts of Russia and the Syrian government on the frontlines in south Idlib and west Aleppo with dozens of shells and rocket launchers.