31 casualties at least and tens of injuries with varying severity in the Russian massacre in Kafr Batna town within the south-western in the besieged Ghouta of Damascus
Rif Dimashq Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: Kafr Batna town in the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, within the pocket controlled by Al-Rahman Corps, witnessed intensive Russian shelling which targeted areas in the town, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the fall of tens of casualties and wounded in the bombardment, where the SOHR documented the death of 31 citizens at least and the injury of more than 80 others with varying severity, where the number of casualties may increase because of the presence of serious injuries, and the presence of missing people whose destiny is unknown, and intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the bombardment was carried out by Russian warplanes, where they targeted the town by bombs contain “Thermite” substance, which is composed of aluminum powder and iron oxide, and causes burns because it continues to ignite for about 180 seconds, and it is inside the bombs used by Russian warplanes in recent weeks of bombing the Syrian territory, it is a cluster incendiary bombs, its type is “RBK-500 ZAB 2.5 SM” which weighs about 500 kg (about 1100 pounds) dropped by the military aircrafts, and carry small sized bombs anti-individuals and anti-vehicles of the type ((AO 2.5 RTM)), between 50 -110 small sized bombs stuffed with “Thermite”, which outpour out of it when they explode, the range of this anti-individuals and anti-vehicles bombs is between 20-30 meters.
This targeting resulted in burning of most the bodies of the casualties who have been killed until now, while others were injured by burns caused by the bombardment by “Thermite”, while the SOHR learned that about 500 citizens displaced today morning, Friday the 16th of March 2018, from the Eastern Ghouta, where they were in the cellars of Hamouriyah city, which the regime forces managed to regain the control of it completely after the factions had advanced into it yesterday.
And the death of more citizens, it has increased to 1301, the number of the Syrian civilians whose death was documented by the Syrian Observatory in the Eastern Ghouta, including 256 children and 171 women, who have been killed since the 18th of February 2018, by the aerial, rocket and artillery shelling on the cities and towns of Douma, Harasta, Arbin, Zamalka, Hamouriyah, Jesrin, Kafr Batna, Hazza, Ash’ari, Nashabiyah, Aftries, Otaya, Al-Shifonyyah, Al-Marj area, Mesraba, Madyara, Beit Sawa, and other areas in the besieged Ghouta of Damascus, resulted in the injury of more than 5120 citizens including hundreds of children and citizen women with varying severity, some of them have permanent disabilities, while the bodies of tens of citizens are still under the rubble of destruction caused by the aerial, rocket and artillery shelling by the regime forces on the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, and the total death toll documented by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, includes 771 casualties including 117 children and 88 women who were killed and documented by the SOHR after the resolution of the UNSC, which failed again to stop the killing of the people of the Eastern Ghouta, and the shelling resulted in the fall of hundreds of wounded, where the number of casualties may increase because of the presence of serious injuries, amid the tragic humanitarian situation of the people of Ghouta, who intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that they do not leave the shelters for fear of the intensive shelling, amid inability of the medical staff to relieve all medical cases.