Shelling of Douma claims more lives

Al Assad regime resumes offensive on rebel-held town as troops advance from Misraba, Madiara

Syrian regime forces pressed their offensive against the last rebelheld town in Eastern Ghouta near the capital Damascus yesterday under the cover of air strikes as shelling of civilian areas on both sides claimed more lives, state media and opposition activists said.

Syrian regime forces resumed their offensive on rebel-held Douma on Friday afternoon after a 10-day truce collapsed over disagreement regarding evacuation of opposition fighters. Violence resumed days after hundreds of opposition fighters and their relatives left Douma toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

A reporter for Lebanon’s Al Manar TV embedded with Syrian regime troops said regime forces advanced towards Douma from the towns of Misraba and Madiara that were recently captured by the regime. Al Manar TV is run by Lebanon’s Hezbollah group that has sent thousands of fighters to Syria to back regime forces.

Attacks repelled

The regime-controlled Syrian Central Military Media (SCMM) said regime forces captured several farms yesterday on the southern and western edges of the city that is home to tens of thousands of people. SCMM said the area controlled by the Jaish Al Islam in and around Douma is 19 square kilometres.

The group said its fighters repelled all regime attacks that began Friday, adding that 17 Syrian regime soldiers were killed. State TV said Jaish Al Islam fighters pelted several neighbourhoods in Damascus with mortar shells killing six civilians and wounding more than 30.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bombardment of Douma killed eight people and wounded 48, including 15 children. On Friday, opposition activists said 40 people were killed in Douma while state media said four were killed in regime-held Damascus.

Regime forces launched a crushing offensive in February and March on Eastern Ghouta capturing dozens of towns and villages forcing thousands of opposition fighters to surrender and evacuate the area towards Syria’s north.

A deal was reached last month to evacuate Douma but activists and state media reported that the Jaish Al Islam group demanded amendments to the deal.

The Observatory said the Russian response to Jaish Al Islam was a list of demands including handing over heavy weapons within three days that should be followed by handing over light weapons and in return regime forces will withdraw from the outskirts of Douma within a week.

The Observatory also said that the Russians promised the rebels that once they hand over their weapons, air strikes would stop.