36 killed as Syrian troops push into Douma
10-day truce collapses over disagreement regarding evacuation of opposition fighters
Syrian Republican Guard forces pushed into the rebel-held area of Douma in eastern Ghouta near Damascus yesterday, Syrian state TV reported, after a 10-day truce collapsed over disagreement regarding evacuation of opposition fighters.
The ground offensive began under the cover of air strikes, which left at least 36 people dead, including women and children, according to state media and opposition activists.
By sunset, artillery pieces, multiple rocket launchers and warplanes pounded Douma. Live TV footage showed thick smoke billowing from different parts of the city as air strikes create huge clouds of dust.
Nearly 50 air strikes on Douma yesterday afternoon killed at least 32 people, including children, according to the Britainbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Douma-based activist Haitham Bakkar said at least 35 people were killed.
“We are being wiped out right now. We are being bombarded ■ with barrel bombs and rocket launchers,” Bakkar said via text message from Douma. “The town is overcrowded and many people have no place to hide.”
Syrian state TV said several air strikes hit Douma after members of the Jaish Al Islam shelled government-held areas nearby killing and wounding a number of people.
Crushing offensive
State news agency SANA reported late yesterday that the shelling on governmentheld Damascus killed four and wounded 22 others.
Douma is the largest city in eastern Ghouta. Government forces captured the entire region except for the city in a crushing offensive in February and March.
The city is a stronghold of Jaish Al Islam, the rebel group holding out in Douma after insurgents in other parts of eastern Ghouta accepted safe passage out to opposition-held areas at the border with Turkey.
Violence resumed in and around Douma yesterday after Jaish Al Islam placed new conditions on the evacuation deal.
Before the fighting resumed, helicopters dropped leaflets on Douma saying rebels should either leave to the northern town of Jarablus or hand over their weapons and receive amnesty with Russian and Syrian government guarantees that would include not drafting young men to the military service until after six to 10 months.
The leaflets also called on civilians to stay, saying their safety would be guaranteed by Russian Military Police deployed outside Douma.
UN concerned
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the renewed outbreak of fighting in Douma “is of great concern to us”.
“There are still a number of people who are beseiged and trapped in the area,” he said at the UN headquarters in New York, “We remind all parties that it is a violation of international law to target civilian infrastructure, to target civilians.”
The violence comes after nearly two weeks of calm in the last rebel-held town in the area after the Russians agreed with the Jaish Al Islam to evacuate the area toward rebel-held regions north of the country.
Earlier this week, hundreds of opposition fighters and their relatives left Douma.