The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

46 casualties in the massacre of Kafr Batna increases the number of casualties in the Eastern Ghouta to more than 1300 citizens since the start of the aerial and ground escalation on it

Ongoing displacement and 1800 citizens come out from Ghouta and the start of transporting the displaced people and those who remained yesterday in the farms controlled by the regime to the shelters

Rif Dimashq Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the targeting to the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus is continuing by the regime forces and Russian warplanes, in conjunction with the continuation of the displacement of citizens from Ghouta, towards the regime forces’ controlled areas, and in conjunction with increasing the number of casualties as a result of the intensive shelling on areas in it, where it has increased to 57 at least including 9 children, the number of people killed today in the raids on Kafr Batna town and Saqba city, including 46 citizens including 9 children who were killed in the Russian raids on Kafr Batna town, while the rest were killed in the raids on Saqba city, and the number of casualties may increase because of the presence of serious injuries, while the sources confirmed that the dead bodies in Kafr Batna town were burned, some of them completely and others partially, as a result of bombing the town by “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.

While the displacement of citizens is still continuing, where more than 1800 persons came out this morning from Al-Rahman Corps controlled areas, through Hamouriyah passage to the regime forces’ controlled areas in the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, while the regime forces tented to bring busses to transport the people came out yesterday who spent the night in the farms of the Eastern Ghouta controlled by the regime forces, as the regime was not prepared to transport them to shelters, where the Eastern Ghouta witnessed yesterday the displacement of 20 thousand citizen in the largest mass displacement until now since the siege was imposed on the Eastern Ghouta in 2013, and with the death of more citizens, it has increased to 1316, the number of the Syrian civilians whose death was documented by the Syrian Observatory in the Eastern Ghouta, including 259 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 786 casualties including 120 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.