Syrian forces continue bombardment in Eastern Ghouta province; over 200 killed

NewsBharati    21-Feb-2018
Total Views |

Damascus, February 21: Syria on Tuesday witnessed one of the most-bloodiest days as the death toll has crossed over 200 including 57 children after the Government forces launched a series of airstrikes on Tuesday. Several rebel groups operate in the Eastern Ghouta, but the province is dominated by the Islamist faction Jaish al-Islam. 

At least 66 civilians, including 15 children were killed while 127 others were injured after the Syrian forces launched a series of airstrikes on the second day i.e on Tuesday. Notably, the Syrian forces launched an offensive against rebel groups who have a stronghold in Eastern Ghouta province of Syria on Monday. After two days of airstrikes from Syrian forces in Eastern Ghouta, the death toll has crossed over 200 including 57 children.

Urging a halt to the bombardment, a UN official said the situation was spiralling out of control. The UN's regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Panos Moumtzis, said the targeting of civilians in the enclave must stop now. “Syria's main opposition group condemned the government onslaught as a bloodbath and a war crime,” he said adding, “It said it may pull out of UN-backed peace talks in protest.”

Meanwhile, the Syrian forces came under bombardment from Turkey after entering the northern Afrin region, escalating a month-long offensive by Ankara. Earlier, on February 8 of this year, Syrian government launched a massive air strike in the rebel-held region eastern Ghouta province in which as many as 59 civilians were killed including 15 children while 139 others were injured.

Eastern Ghouta is held by rebels since 2012 and is the last opposition pocket around Damascus. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is keen to retake Eastern Ghouta with an apparently imminent ground assault. So far, over 340,000 people have been killed since the civil war erupted in 2011.