UPDATE - Regime attacks kill 51 civilians in Syria's E. Ghouta

UPDATES WITH HIGHER DEATH TOLL

By Adham Kako and Levent Tok

EASTERN GHOUTA, Syria (AA) - At least 51 civilians were killed by Syrian regime attacks on Tuesday in Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb, according to local civil-defense sources.

The sources told Anadolu Agency that casualty numbers are expected to rise as regime airstrikes continue.

According to Anadolu Agency reporters near the scene, Syrian regime forces have been pounding the area since early Tuesday.

On Monday, regime attacks left 30 civilians dead in Eastern Ghouta and dozens more injured.

Villages in the area continue to be targeted by regime forces even though these areas fall within a network of de-escalation zones in which acts of aggression are prohibited.

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