Syrian regime kills 9 civilians in eastern Ghouta

By Adham Kako

ANKARA

At least nine civilians were killed on Sunday when forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad in Syria attacked residential areas in eastern Ghouta, east of Damascus, according to Anadolu Agency source on the ground.

The regime airstrikes backed by the artillery shelling hit residents in Haresta, Arbin, Duma, Ayn Terma, Marj and Misraba areas.

in Duma district killed at least 5 civilians and left around 20 others injured, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

Another four people died in Misraba region, according to the initial report.

The Syrian Civil Defense units, also known as White Helmets, rushed to the scene and transferred the wounded to nearby hospitals.

In recent days, regime forces have intensified their attacks on eastern Ghouta despite being considered as a de-escalation zone.

At least 57 civilians were killed by the regime forces in the area between Nov. 14-18, according to s source from the Civil Defense.

Eastern Ghouta falls within a network of de-escalation zones -- set up in Syria by Turkey, Russia and Iran -- in which acts of aggression are expressly forbidden. Regime forces have repeatedly attacked the district this week, leaving dozens of civilians dead or injured.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating civil war that began in early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the fighting and more than 10 million displaced, according to the UN.