With intensive aerial and ground support…the regime forces backed by militiamen loyal to them advance in Hosh Al-Dawahira and the warplanes target Douma this morning

Rif Dimashq Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation of the violent clashes in the area of Hosh Al-Dawahira in Al-Marj area, since last night and until now, between the fighters of Jaysh Al-Islam against the regime forces backed by armed militiamen loyal to them, accompanied by the continuation of intensive shelling by tens of shells and missiles, in addition to ongoing bombardment, amid advancement by the regime forces in Hosh Al-Dawahira, where the regime forces are seeking during their attack accompanied by the heavy preliminary rocket shelling, to complete their control over Hosh Al-Dawahira after they managed to advance into it, while the fighters of Jaysh Al-Islam try to repel the attacks, while the clashes are continuing between the both parties, in the area of Al-Rihan – Al-Shiffuniyya, in an attempt by the regime forces to advance towards Al-Shiffuniyya, while the warplanes returned to fly over the Eastern Ghouta, in conjunction with carrying out 6 raids this morning, which targeted areas in Douma, without information about causing casualties so far.

In the same context, the Syrian Observatory monitored the extraction of the bodies of 6 casualties including the “chief of the Local Council” and members of the council, who were killed in an earlier bombardment by the warplanes on Al-Shiffuniyya area on Saturday the 24th of February 2018, raising to 588 citizens including 146 children and 88 women, the number of the civilian casualties who have been killed by the aerial, rocket and artillery shelling and bombardment by explosive barrels on the Eastern Ghouta, since Sunday evening the 18th of February 2018, and the casualties are: 7 citizens including 2 children and a woman who were killed yesterday, in aerial and artillery shelling on Mesraba, Jesrin and Douma, 32 citizens including 11 children and 7 women who were killed on Monday in the aerial and rocket shelling on Douma and Harasta and the area between Mesraba and Beit Sawa, 18 citizens including 5 children under the age of eighteen and 4 women were killed Sunday, in shelling by the regime forces and bombardment by warplanes on areas in Douma, al-Shifonyyah, Saqba, Beit Sawa, Hammuriyyeh and al-Rihan, and 51 citizens including 8 children under the age of eighteen, and 9 women were killed on Saturday by bombardment by warplanes on Harasta, Douma, Zamalka, Beit Sawa and Al-Shifonyyah, 43 citizens including 18 children and 4 women were killed on Friday, 73 citizens including 9 children and 8 citizen women who were killed on Thursday in bombardment by warplanes on areas in Mesraba and Aftries towns and Douma and Arbin cities, 87 citizens including 21 children and 12 women, were killed on Wednesday in bombardment by helicopters by explosive barrels on Kafr Batna town and airstrikes on Jesrin town and raids on Saqba, 133 citizens including 33 children and 17 women were killed on Tuesday, in the shelling on the areas of Nashabiyah, Otaya, Arbin, Zamalka Mesraba, Hamuriya, Saqba and Ash’ari, 127 citizens including 34 children and 23 women were killed on Monday, in the aerial and ground bombardment on Hamuriya, Beit Sawa and Saqba, Douma , Mesraba, Otaya, Nashabiyah, Zamalka, Aftries, KafrBatna, Al-Shifonyyah and Jesrin, 17 citizens including 5 children and 3 women were killed on the evening of Sunday, while the aerial and artillery shelling resulted in the fall of hundreds of injuries, some of them are still in serious cases, which may raise the death toll.

It is noteworthy that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday, Tuesday the 27th of February 2018, that military operations and the escalation of aerial, missile and artillery shelling by the regime forces continue on the eastern Ghouta, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored violent clashes between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against Jaysh al-Islam and the Islamic movement of Ahrar Al-Sham, in places in the orchards between the cities of Harasta and Douma, after an attack by the regime forces in an attempt to advance in the area, and the clashes are accompanied by heavy shelling by tens of shells which targeted the clash areas and positions of the factions on contact lines with the regime forces, also violent clashes are taking place between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against fighters of Jaysh al-Islam, in areas in the vicinity of Hosh Al-Dawahra and other areas in al-Rihan area, while the warplanes targeted areas in Harasta city by 2 raids, coincided with the fall of 10 missiles at least believed to be ground-to-ground, while the helicopters dropped 4 barrel bombs on areas in al-Shifonyyah town, also the warplanes shelled areas in Mesraba town, which caused material damage but no information about casualties, also the regime forces continued to escalate the artillery and missile shelling on the eastern Ghouta, where the activists of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored shelling by the regime forces using 30 missile believed to be ground-to-ground; on areas in al-Shifonyyah town in the Eastern Ghouta, in conjunction with targeting areas in the town by more than 100 shells, accompanied by the carrying out 6 raids by warplanes on areas in al-Shifonyyah, and with this shelling it rose to 268, the number of raids, barrel bombs, missile and artillery strikes which were documented by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and targeted the eastern Ghouta, where the warplanes carried out 37 raids at least on Douma, Harasta, Mesraba, Arbin, Zamalka, KafrBatna, al-Shifonyyah, Hosh Al-Dawahra and Aftries, while the helicopters dropped 8 barrel bombs on al-Shifonyyah, and the regime forces also launched 60 missiles believed to be ground-to-ground on areas in Harasta city and al-Shifonyyah town, while 163 shells at least were launched at the towns of Douma, Harasta, Al-Shifonyyah, Mesraba and Jesrin and the farms between Douma and Harasta, which caused more destruction in the property of citizens.