A/HRC/44/61 Saraqib. The attack killed one man, three women and four children, including a 2-month-old baby, from the same family. They had only gone back to their home to collect their belongings and were preparing to flee again. 26. Pro-Government forces also conducted air strikes on locations further away from the frontline, such as Idlib city, which exacerbated fears among the civilian population that an offensive, even more violent, was imminent (see paras. 36–58 below). In one such incident, on 5 March between approximately 2 and 2.30 a.m., information gathered by the Commission indicated reasonable grounds to believe that Russian Aerospace Forces had conducted two consecutive air strikes, employing guided munitions on an isolated poultry farm in Marat Misrin, where displaced civilians had recently relocated (see annex III). At least 16 civilians were killed, including eight women and three children, and 25 others injured, including five women and seven children. Attacks on markets 27. Consistent with a previously established pattern, 23 air strikes by pro-Government forces reportedly struck at least 13 markets during the period.24 The Commission documented seven such attacks. 28. On 2 December, pro-Government forces carried out two such attacks. One air strike struck a market and an adjacent residential building in Saraqib at around 9 a.m., killing one man and injuring seven others. Two hours later, another air strike consisting of two munitions hit al-Hal wholesale market,25 located in a residential area in eastern Ma’arrat al-Nu’man. Interviewees said that the munitions fell some 3 metres from each other, impacting numerous commercial shops and civilian vehicles. The attack killed nine civilians, including two women, and injured at least 13 others, including a 16-year-old boy who lost a limb. 29. On 21 December, at 10.35 a.m., one air strike consisting of three munitions struck another market in Saraqib, damaging adjacent residential buildings, including a medical clinic, within an area of between 400 and 600 metres. The attack killed at least eight civilians, including one female laboratory technician, and injured over 25 others. 30. On 11 January in the early afternoon, pro-Government forces launched an air strike consisting of at least four munitions on a local market in Binish, killing nine civilians, including five women and three children, and injuring 29 others, including 13 children and four women. 31. On 15 January, between 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m., the Commission has reasonable grounds to conclude that air strikes by Government forces struck the densely populated alHal market and adjacent area in Idlib city, located approximately 200 metres from each other (see annex III). The attack killed at least 19 civilians, including two children, and injured 60 others. 32. The commercial area was hit again, at midday on 11 February, when pro-Government forces carried out two air strikes that struck the main street and adjacent al-Jala street, killing at least 11 civilians, including five boys aged 10 to 16, and injuring 20 others. B. Attacks affecting civilians in western Aleppo 33. By early February, when aerial bombardments reached western Aleppo, desperate civilians began fleeing towards Idlib Governorate. Overflight data indicate that at least 217 air strikes were launched on western Aleppo between 20 January and 5 March. During that time, daily aerial bombardment affected civlians in Atarib town and its surroundings (see annex III). 23 24 25 A/HRC/28/69, annex II, paras. 2–8; A/HRC/30/48, paras. 34–35; A/HRC/31/68, para. 77; and A/HRC/43/57, paras. 22–23, and annex II, paras. 1–8. S/2020/141, para. 19, and S/2020/327, annex. The main market was previously hit in July 2019. See A/HRC/43/57, paras. 21–23, and annex II, paras. 1–8. 7