South Syria hit by ‘intense’ bombing

Talks to cede the largest opposition holdout in south-western Syria to government forces have failed, triggering an intense overnight bombing campaign on the densely populated town of Nawa that killed more than a dozen people and wounded over a hundred, activists and rescuers said yesterday.

Separately, some 7,000 were expected to be evacuated from two pro-government villages in northwestern Syria as part of a negotiated deal with insurgents who have besieged them for three years.

Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said “frenzied” overnight bombing in Nawa and the town’s surroundings continued yesterday, with at least 350 missiles launched.

The Observatory said at least 12 people were killed as rescuers struggled to get to the casualties. Khaled Solh, head of the local Syria Civil Defense known as White Helmets, said they have documented 14 killed while Nawa’s only hospital was bombed and rendered non-operational.