Baladi News – Idlib Countryside (Mohammed Khudair)
Friday prayers were canceled today in the mosques in several areas of Idlib countryside, including Saraqeb, Taftanaz, Binnish, Ariha, Maarat al-Numaan, and Abu al-Duhur, which had been under heavy air strikes by the Syrian government and Russia's warplanes over the last few days.
"The prayers were called off in several towns of Idlib governorate for fear of raids against mosques. This was a preventive step to avoid massacres against worshipers, because the shelling would not spare anyone as all people in rebel-held areas are regarded as terrorists by the Syrian regime", said Majd Sab'o, a civilian from Idlib.
Meanwhile, Zaid Al Jabali, an activist from Jabal al-Zawiya, said, "The cancellation of the prayers is in favor of the civilians, because the regime will spare no effort in targeting peaceful areas with its indiscriminate bombardments. Since mosques are places in which great numbers of people gather, the prayers were not held to save their lives."
Hassan Al-Mokhtar, another activist from Saraqeb, mentioned that "the cancellation came after several rebels' victories in Homs and Aleppo country sides. Every time the regime gets defeated, it takes revenge on civilians."
Friday prayers were previously canceled in several country sides in Homs, Damascus, Daraa, and Aleppo, where the regime had targeted dozens of mosques during the gatherings of people to hold the prayers.