Dr. Omar Ibrahim went from Aleppo to Idlib province in Syria to continue treating injuries from shelling. Now, after six years of doing surgery in a war zone, he is starting a new chapter in his life.
"It is a very, very sad thing when my son says to me, 'Mum, I don't want to die,'" says Etab Hadithi, a 41-year-old mother of two. "We are all suffering ... from a dangerous life."
The military is conducting a credibility assessment of claims of civilian casualties during the U.S. operation against ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Half a dozen Turkish troops and at least 13 Syrians died Monday in the Syrian border province of Idlib. The spasm of violence between the bitter neighbors also threatens to ensnare Syrian ally Russia.
Dr. Omar Ibrahim spoke to NPR via Skype from the only working hospital in south Idlib province. The staff, he says, has "just moved into the basement [because of] the attacks."
Special Representative for Syrian Engagement Jim Jeffrey says the U.S. has "lots of evidence" that the Damascus government is preparing for a "reckless escalation" of the conflict.
Civilian death tolls are piling up as the Syrian regime and its ally Russia attack Eastern Ghouta, outside Damascus, and parts of the northern Idlib province.
More than 100,000 civilians have had to flee homes and refugee camps because of violence in Idlib province. "Barrel bombs are just falling on the heads of these people," says a civil defense worker.
