More massacres and killing by raids and ground shelling kill 16 citizens today and raise the death toll to 120 civilian casualties during 11 days of escalating the shelling on the Eastern Ghouta

Rif Dimashq Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the warplanes are continuing to fly over the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, in conjunction with carrying out more strikes on areas in it, in which they targeted places in Douma city by a raid, while the number of raids which targeted areas in Harasta city and its vicinity, has increased to 36 raids at least since morning, in conjunction with the continuation of the rocket shelling on the city, where it has increased to 45, the number of shells which fired by the regime forces on Harasta city since morning, which resulted in the fall of wounded, also the number of raids that targeted Arbin city since morning has increased to 3, while the regime forces targeted Madyara town and its outskirts by more than 25 shells, and the regime forces also targeted areas in the cities and the towns of Saqba, Hamouriya, Kafr Batna, Hazza and Jisrayn intensively by shells, in the same context, the violent clashes are still continuing between the regime forces and gunmen loyal to them against Hayaat Tahrir al-Sham, Ahrar Al-Sham Islamic Movement, Al-Rahman Corps, in areas west of the Vehicle Department near Harasta, accompanied by exchange of targeting and shelling between the both parties and information about human losses.

This continuous bombardment by warplanes resulted in the death of more citizens, in which the number of casualties who were killed today and were documented by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, rose to 16 citizens including 5 children and 2 citizen women, and the casualties are: 6 citizens including a citizen woman and 3 of her children were killed by bombardment by warplanes on Douma city, 3 casualties including a child were killed due to a raid targeted Madyara town, 3 persons were killed due to bombardment targeted Saqba city, a citizen woman was killed as a result of shelling by the regime forces on areas in Hamouriya city, and 3 persons including a child girl died affected by the injury they had as a result of shelling and raids targeted the cities of Douma and Arbin as well as Madyara town yesterday, and the bombardment resulted in the injury of about 40 persons with varying severity, while the number of casualties may increase because of the presence of a large number of injuries, some of whom have seriously wounded.

Thus, the death toll has increased to 119 citizens including 29 children and 26 citizen women, who have been killed since the 29th of December 2017 and until now, and the casualties are 90 citizens including 24 children, 22 citizen women and a male nurse, they were killed in raids by the warplanes on areas in Harasta city controlled by the Islamic movement of Ahrar Al-Sham and raids on Madyara town, and 29 citizens including 5 children and 4 citizen women and 2 male nurses were killed by artillery and rocket shelling targeted areas in Beit Sawa town, the cities of Harasta, Hamuriya, Douma and Arbin as well as the towns of Kafr Batna, Mesraba, Al-Nashabiyah and Otaya, and the aerial and artillery shelling left tens of casualties and wounded included a large number of children and citizen women, and the number of casualties may increase because of the presence of serious injuries.

These ongoing and violent battles between the regime forces against the factions in the Eastern Ghouta have increased the number of human losses in both of their ranks, where it rose to at least 72 members of the regime forces and their allied militiamen, including 7 officers at least including 5 brigadiers, who were killed in shelling and clashes in the Eastern Ghouta since the 29th of December 2017, while it rose to at least 87, the number of fighters of Hayaat Tahrir al-Sham, Ahrar Al-Sham Islamic Movement, Al-Rahman Corps, who were killed in the fronts of Vehicle Department, Province Building, and Air Intelligence vicinity, including a Saudi fighter who blew himself up in a booby trapped vehicle on the first day of the attack, which led to the siege of the Vehicle Department, and the SOHR documented human losses of both parties on the front of Al-Marj area where 2 fighters of Jaysh Al-Islam were killed in shelling and clashes in Al-Marj area, during the fight against the regime forces and their allied militiamen, the same clashes where 17 members of the regime forces were killed, also tens of both parties were injured.