Intensified series of airstrikes carried by Syrian forces on rebel-held Eastern Ghouta kills over 600 civilians

NewsBharati    01-Mar-2018
Total Views |

Damascus, March 1: It has been over ten days now but still the bloodiest episode continues in Syria continues. Notably, the death toll has mounted to over 600 civilians after the Syrian Government forces launched a series of airstrikes with rockets, barrel bombs since February 18 this year on rebel-held Eastern Ghouta. 

Despite worldwide criticism, Syrian government forces continuing intensified airstrikes on Eastern Ghouta with hundreds of rockets and as many as barrel bombs which led to the death of over 600 of civilians. A total of 601 civilians were killed while 400 others were injured after the Syrian forces launched a series of airstrikes since February 18 this year.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, 147 of the 601 civilians killed, mostly in airstrikes, were children. “Civilians shunned Russia's offer to quit the Eastern Ghouta for a second day on Wednesday saying they are ready to die,” the Observatory added.

However, Rebels and Syrian government continue to blame each other for the humanitarian deadlock. On the other side, the United States accused Russia of having unique responsibility for the deaths of civilians in Eastern Ghouta province.

On February 24 of this year, in a bid to provide humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations to rebel-held Syria, the United Nations with Russia's backing unanimously approved a resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire. Despite the step, Syrian forces continued airstrike in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta region due to which aid was not delivered.

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 but the province is dominated by the Islamist faction Jaish al-Islam. 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.