UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations condemns the bombings in the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria, which caused civilian deaths and injuries, a UN spokesperson said Tuesday.
In the bombings on Monday, at least 17 people were reportedly killed in twin explosions in the al-Qusor neighborhood in Idlib, and nearly 100 people reportedly injured, including civilians and aid volunteers, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said at a press briefing.
"The UN is gravely concerned by reports of what seems to be an instigation of hostilities and an increasing number of casualties in the northwest part of Syria," he said.
Meanwhile, 130 schools in Idlib governorate remain suspended due to hostilities, impacting nearly 50,000 children, Dujarric said.
The United Nations continues to call on all the parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians to put an end to the destruction of hospitals and other civilian infrastructures that are essential for the civilian population, he urged.
The twin explosions are believed to be carried out by explosive-laden vehicles, which tore through the al-Qusor area in the central part of Idlib, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.