Nine civilians killed as Syria regime strikes shake Ghouta
At least nine civilians were killed on 6 March in Syria's Eastern Ghouta as fresh regime air strikes and clashes shook the rebel enclave outside Damascus, a monitor and AFP correspondents said.
Regime air strikes killed nine civilians in the town of Jisreen early 6 March, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.
With the latest deaths, 95 civilians have been killed in regime bombardment of the battered enclave since 5 March, it said.
Russian-backed regime troops have advanced steadily since launching an assault on the last major rebel stronghold near the capital on 18 February.
As of 6 March they controlled around 40 percent of the enclave after seizing a further area overnight, the Observatory said.
It reported clashes on 6 March in the northeast, centre and southeast of the enclave.
In total more than 780 civilians – including 170 children – have been killed in Eastern Ghouta since 18 February, according to the Observatory.
The enclave's 400,000 residents have been living under siege since 2013, facing severe food and medicine shortages even before the latest onslaught.
Aid deliveries on 5 March had to be cut short amid continued fighting.
Regime warplanes pounded other areas of Eastern Ghouta including the main town of Douma early 6 March, as well as the towns of Sabqa and Hammuriyeh overnight, the Observatory said.
The strikes on Douma reduced homes to piles of rubble on the sides of roads, an AFP correspondent there said.
An AFP reporter in Hammuriyeh said air strikes overnight targeted the town, with only a few residents emerging from the safety of their cellars after day broke.
On 5 March, the Observatory reported 18 people suffered breathing difficulties following a strike by a military aircraft in Hammuriyeh, without being able to specify the cause of the illnesses.
More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
More from Defence Notes
-
What the future holds for Ukraine and NATO under a Trump administration
Although Trump’s geopolitics policy for Europe remains unclear, defence analysts from the US and Europe predict how his incoming administration would attempt to handle critical issues on the continent.
-
RUSI deputy: UK needs longer procurement plans and improved awareness of US sift to Indo-Pacific
The UK budget announced in Parliament on 30 October was the first by a Labour government in 14 years which has also launched a review into defence procurement programmes.
-
Australia outlines longer punch and brings local industry onboard
The Australian government has placed a focus on Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) which has included the purchase of additional long-range rocket systems and investments in local production of missiles.
-
UK boosts defence budget by 5.3%, but is this enough?
The UK budget announced in Parliament on 30 October is the first by a Labour government in 14 years. While it sees a boost in defence spending, this comes in the face of fiscal challenges and the effects of inflation.