Regime attacks kill 16 civilians in Syria's E. Ghouta

By Mohamad Misto

EASTERN GHOUTA, Syria/ANKARA (AA) – At least 16 civilians were killed in fresh regime attacks in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta on Monday, according to the White Helmets civil defense agency.

The attacks targeted several towns in the suburb, which has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years, bringing it on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Ten people were killed in airstrikes in the town of Duma, five in Rihan and one in Harasta, the White Helmets said.

According to the civil defense agency, at least 21 people have been killed in Eastern Ghouta since the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day cease-fire in Syria to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries on Saturday.

The resolution came as regime forces intensified attacks on the besieged area in recent days, killing several hundreds.

Home to some 400,000 residents, Eastern Ghouta falls within a network of de-escalation zones -- endorsed by Turkey, Russia and Iran -- in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

The resolution, prepared by Sweden and Kuwait, also calls for the medical evacuation of 700 people, particularly in Eastern Ghouta.

Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since early 2011 when the regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.

According to UN officials, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict to date.