At least 14 dead in fresh air raids on Syria's Ghouta

WION Web Team

Beirut, LebanonUpdated: Mar 05, 2018, 08:22 AM IST

Syrian government forces drive military vehicles in al-Shifoniya as they advance in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area on March 4. Photograph:(AFP)

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The latest deaths bring to 709 the number of civilians killed since regime and allied Russian forces intensified their campaign against Eastern Ghouta in February

At least 14 civilians were killed overnight in fresh air raids by the Syrian regime in the besieged rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, a monitor said Monday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said barrel bombs were used, including on the town of Hammuriyeh, where 10 people were killed. Barrel bombs are crude, improvised munitions that cause indiscriminate damage.

The latest deaths bring to 709 the number of civilians killed since regime and allied Russian forces intensified their campaign against Eastern Ghouta in February. Also read: White House accuses Russia of killing civilians in Syria

At least 166 of those killed were children, Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Observatory said.

The deadly raids, as well as other strikes and rocket fire elsewhere in Eastern Ghouta on Monday, came as the battered enclave awaited a convoy of humanitarian aid from the United Nations.

(With inputs from AFP)