Idlib, Oct. 26 (SANA) Residents of Hass town in the southern Idlib countryside held a memorial event Monday marking the 10th anniversary of the “Pens Massacre,” committed by the deposed regime’s air force against high school students in 2016, which killed dozens of children, SANA reporter said.
The event, organized by the town council in the same school building, was attended by popular, official and educational figures. It evoked the memory of the massacre, in which school desks and students’ notebooks were transformed into a scene of blood and loss, and renewed demands for holding those responsible accountable and achieving justice for the victims.
Victims’ families: Memory remains present
Families of the victims and survivors affirmed that the anniversary has left a deep impact on the town’s residents and remains present in their conscience.
Abdul Moneim Zain al-Din, a writer and researcher, told SANA that the massacre resulted in dozens killed and more than 130 injured, many of whom suffered amputations.
He said commemorating the anniversary aims to preserve national memory, document the events of the massacre and ensure it remains present in the conscience of generations, alongside stressing the need to hold perpetrators of this and other crimes against Syrians accountable.
“We cannot forget, and we cannot forgive until we see just retribution against them,” Zain al-Din said.
Educational will to continue
Jamal al-Darwish, head of the supervision and guidance division at the Kafranbel complex, said the commemoration evokes the will of Hass residents to resume education despite the destruction.
He noted that educational staff returned to teaching days after the massacre in schools, mosques and basements, allowing educational institutions to continue their mission and graduate doctors, engineers and teachers despite the wounds.
Witness accounts
Khaled Zaidan, a witness to the massacre, recounted that residents immediately formed a cell comprising media, health, statistics and education committees to document the events and follow up on the conditions of victims and the injured, recalling efforts made day and night to confront the aftermath.
Zaidan noted the resilience of a teacher who returned to teaching just four days after the massacre despite losing her daughter, and highlighted the efforts of Dr. Khaled al-Daif, who continued providing psychological support to those affected despite losing a loved one.
On Oct. 26, 2016, the ousted regime’s aircraft targeted the Martyr Kamal Qalaji school complex in Hass town in the southern Idlib countryside, killing 38 civilians, including 22 children and 6 female teachers, and injuring more than 130 others. The attack was documented by international human rights organizations as a war crime.
Kh.A / Mzn
