Syria defies Russia with fresh attacks on Eastern Ghouta

THE Syrian government began fresh offensives on besieged Eastern Ghouta yesterday in defiance of its Russian sponsor’s truce, making the UN’S resolution on a longer-term ceasefire look increasingly unlikely.

Since the pause began on Monday, Government shelling and clashes with rebel fighters have been reported in three neighbourhoods of Eastern Ghouta: Douma, Harasta Farms and Shifouniyah. More than 600 people had been killed in 10 days, monitoring groups said last night.

Moscow, which has been bombing in support of Bashar al-assad’s regime, unilaterally declared a daily five-hour “humanitarian pause” in response to the UN Security Council’s resolution on a 30-day ceasefire, but has been unable to bring the Syrians to heel.

Fighting in Douma blocked the only allocated humanitarian corridor out of the enclave, which had been opened by the Syrian government and agreed by Russia. The Russian military said a group of civilians had managed to flee through the corridor since the truce came into force on Tuesday at 9am. However, many more told The Daily Telegraph they would not leave even if the route was clear, out of fear of government reprisals.

Aid agencies also questioned the merit of the truce, saying the brief pauses did not give them enough time to mobilise assistance needed for Ghouta’s 400,000 residents. “It is impossible to bring in a humanitarian convoy in five hours,” said Robert Mardini, International Committee of the Red Cross’s regional director for the Middle East. “We have a long experience of bringing aid across front lines in Syria, and we know that it may take up to one day to simply pass checkpoints, despite the previous agreement of all parties.”

The Syrian government has said the ceasefire does not include “terrorist groups”, but in practice it does not distinguish between rebels, considering them all terrorists.

A complex patchwork of opposition groups operate in the eastern suburbs of Damascus. Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday, Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said Moscow would continue to support the Syrian army in totally defeating the “terrorist threat”.