White Helmets rescuer assists a victim of Russia-regime bombardment of Ma’arat al-Num’an, Idlib Province, Syria, May 26, 2019

Checked in their offensive in northwest Syria, Russia and the Assad regime punished civilians across Idlib Province on Sunday, with a bombardment killing at least 12 people.

At least six of the victims were in Ma’arat al-Numan, regularly bombarded since the demilitarized zone in Idlib and northern Hama Provinces — the last major opposition area in Syria — was shattered first by bombardment and then by a May 6 Russian-regime offensive.

The White Helmets civil defense said 36 people were wounded in the town, south of Idlib city.

The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) updated their death toll to 229 since April 228. Another 727 have been wounded and more than 300,000 displaced. There have been 20 attacks on healthcare facilities, putting 19 out of action.

Bombardment, including with incendiary munitions, continued overnight.

Pro-Assad Forces Claim Gain in Northwest Hama, Battle Ongoing

The Russia-regime offensive, knocked back by an anti-Assad counter-attack last week, claimed that it regained the initiative on Sunday.

Backed by Russian airpower, the regime said it recaptured Kafr Naboudeh in northwest Hama, the third time control has changed hands in less than three weeks.

A spokesman for the Turkey-backed rebel National Liberation Front said they withdrew after an eight-hour bombardment with hundreds of rockets and dozens of airstrikes.

But rebels and the Islamist bloc Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham counter-attacked late Sunday, with Russian bombers trying to check the assault.

The Russian-regime offensive, which broke the September demilitarized zone proclaimed by Russia and Turkey, quickly took Kafr Naboudeh and several other towns.

But rebels and HTS retook Kafr Naboudeh and put Qalaat al-Mudiq under pressure early last week. The regime also failed on four occasions to seize Kabani, a key mountaintop town in neighboring Latakia Province.