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.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![SOF Week 2026: US military tests AI algorithm to support missions in low-light scenarios]()
SOF Week 2026: US military tests AI algorithm to support missions in low-light scenarios
The US Army and USAF are evaluating an AI-enabled imaging capability from Deepnight designed to enhance low-light and no-light operations across multiple platforms and environments.
-
![Industrial capacity under scrutiny as US approves further $8.6 billion Middle East arms sale]()
Industrial capacity under scrutiny as US approves further $8.6 billion Middle East arms sale
The fast-tracked emergency approvals come as the conflict in the Middle East stretches out into its third month, after Iranian attacks depleted US allies’ missile stockpiles and testing air defence systems.
-
![Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)]()
Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)
As militaries face an overwhelming flow of data, the challenge is shifting from collection to delivering fast, actionable insights that drive decision-making. Advances in AI and data integration are helping armed forces move beyond siloed systems to generate real-time intelligence across domains and allies.
-
![SAHA 2026 to Convene the Global Defence Ecosystem]()
SAHA 2026 to Convene the Global Defence Ecosystem
SAHA 2026 brings global defence and aerospace leaders to Istanbul for partnerships, launches, panels and high-value meetings.
-
![Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms]()
Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms
In a partnership with Emesent, Teledyne FLIR will equip its autonomous air, ground and detection systems with the Hovermap LiDAR payload in a move that highlights a broader market shift towards modular architectures, shared payloads and interoperability across platforms.
-
![US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors]()
US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors
The Pentagon’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes an impressive increase in the procurement of interceptors, with the number of the US Army’s PAC-3 MSE rounds expanding by 683%, the US Navy’s Standard Missile by 365% and the MDA’s SM-3 IIA by more than 1,000%.
