19 civilians killed in regime airstrikes in E. Ghouta

By Mohamad Misto

EASTERN GHOUTA/ANKARA (AA) - At least nineteen civilians have been killed by Bashar al-Assad regime’s airstrikes in besieged Eastern Ghouta on Thursday, according to Syria’s civil defense agency.

The regime’s continued ground and air attacks on Eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, came despite separate cease-fire initiatives endorsed by Russia and the UN Security Council.

In attacks since Thursday morning, the attacks targeted Eastern Ghouta's Douma and Haresta districts and the Sakba, Arbin, Hammuriyah, Beit Sawa, Jisrin, Misraba, Zamalka and Kafr Batna regions.

Since Feb. 19, at least 881 people have been killed in Eastern Ghouta, and the death toll is expected to rise further as attacks by the regime remain ongoing.

Home to some 400,000 people, Eastern Ghouta has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years.

Over the last eight months, the regime has stepped up its siege, making it nearly impossible for food or medicine to enter the district and leaving thousands of civilians in dire need.