Bombs still fall in Syria despite ceasefire hope
THE bombs rained down in Syria’s rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta yesterday – despite a ceasefire ordered by the United Nations after the deaths of more than 100 children. After days of diplomatic wrangling the Security Council Defence and Security Editor adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day truce in Syria ‘without delay’ on Saturday.
But attempts to end the violence so aid and supplies could be allowed in faltered as heavy clashes broke out in the region near the capital Damascus. Witnesses told the Al Jazeera network that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were attacking rebels on multiple fronts. Syrian warplanes continued their bombardment of Douma, the region’s main town, for the eighth day.
While diplomats spent two days arguing over the phrasing of the resolution, 180 people were killed, including 26 women and 42 children, the Syrian American Medical Society said.
Assad’s forces had started a major bombing campaign in the enclave, home to 400,000 people, a week ago. More than 500 – including 121 children – have been killed so far, according to monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
It added that fighting had intensified on the ground yesterday, with 13 pro-regime fighters and six rebels from the Jaish al-Islam group killed.
Stephen Hickey, the UK’s representative at the UN, said the council had been arguing ‘over commas’ as Syrian planes were bombing homes and hospitals.
The UN demand raised hopes of stemming the bloodshed – but the scope of the ceasefire, and when it will come into effect, is unclear.
A timeframe of 72 hours was scrapped so it would not be vetoed by Russia, a key ally of Assad’s regime. In a joint phone call yesterday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron urged President Vladimir Putin to bring forward a ceasefire.
The two main rebel groups controlling the enclave – Jaish al-Islam and Faylaq al-Rahman – welcomed the UN resolution but vowed to fight back if attacked.
In another concession, the truce would not apply to operations against Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and others linked to terror groups. However, Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate is present in the area and Assad’s regime routinely describes all of its opponents as ‘terrorists’.
UN secretary- general Antonio Guterres, who last week described scenes in Eastern Ghouta as ‘hell on Earth’, said the truce must be implemented ‘immediately’.