IDLIB, Syria — Cautious calm prevails over Idlib province following the bloody escalation on Aug. 10 that left 53 dead and dozens injured in several towns. When Al-Monitor visited the scene on Aug. 14, civil defense crews were still working in cooperation with locals to remove the rubble and open the roads.

Ahmed Barakat gathered what remained of his destroyed home in the town of Urum al-Kubra, west of Idlib city. All of the residential neighborhood's houses turned into piles of rubble when Russian airstrikes targeted the town on Aug. 10.

A layer of dust covered Barakat’s hair and face, his eyes sad and tired. As he was leaving in a car with what is left of his belongings, he told Al-Monitor, “In one moment, your life can turn into hell. Just before sundown, an aircraft flew over and attacked our neighborhood. I thought I was dreaming, but it was a living nightmare. Dozens of my neighbors were killed or injured. The entire Al-Abboud family was killed.”

He added, “Although my house was not completely destroyed, I cannot live here anymore. I will move in with my relatives until I find a place of my own.”