Aid convoy enters Syria enclave as regime presses offensive

DOUMA: An international aid convoy entered Syria’s Eastern Ghouta yesterday to deliver much-needed supplies as regime forces seized more ground in a fierce offensive to retake the battered rebel enclave, reports AFP.

The United Nations said 46 trucks had entered Eastern Ghouta and arrived in the main town of Douma, in the first aid delivery since the start of the regime assault last month.

The aid arrived after fresh air strikes hit besieged Eastern Ghouta and regime troops were reported to have retaken a third of the enclave in a rapidly advancing offensive.

An AFP reporter in Douma said warplanes were flying overhead and explosions from further bombardment on the enclave could be heard even as the aid was being unloaded.

Western powers have piled pressure on Damascus and its Russian ally to end the offensive on Eastern Ghouta—one of the bloodiest assaults of Syria’s nearly seven-year civil war—but President Bashar al-Assad warned there would be no let up.

More than two weeks of air strikes, artillery and rocket fire on the last major rebel-held enclave near Damascus have left more than 700 civilians dead and three quarters of housing damaged in the area.

More bombs, including crude improvised munitions known as “barrel bombs”, were dropped in overnight raids on Monday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

At least 10 people were killed in the town of Hammuriyeh, said the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria.

Another 19 died in Jisreen and other towns, the monitor said, bringing to 724 the number of civilians killed since the assault began, including at least 170 children.

The UN Human Rights Council on Monday ordered investigators to probe the latest violence, after the world body’s rights chief warned crimes against humanity had likely been committed and that its perpetrators would not “get away with this.”

 

Aid convoy enters Syria enclave as regime presses offensive

DOUMA: An international aid convoy entered Syrias Eastern Ghouta yesterday to deliver much-needed supplies as regime forces seized more ground in a fierce offensive to retake the battered rebel enclave, reports AFP. The United Nations said 46 trucks had entered Eastern Ghouta and arrived in the main town of Douma, in the first aid delivery since the start of the regime assault last month. The aid arrived after fresh air strikes hit besieged Eastern Ghouta and regime troops were reported to have retaken a third of the enclave in a rapidly advancing offensive. An AFP reporter in Douma said warplanes were flying overhead and explosions from further bombardment on the enclave could be heard even as the aid was being unloaded. Western powers have piled pressure on Damascus and its Russian ally to end the offensive on Eastern Ghoutaone of the bloodiest assaults of Syrias nearly seven-year civil warbut President Bashar al-Assad warned there would be no let up. More than two weeks of air strikes, artillery and rocket fire on the last major rebel-held enclave near Damascus have left more than 700 civilians dead and three quarters of housing damaged in the area. More bombs, including crude improvised munitions known as barrel bombs, were dropped in overnight raids on Monday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. At least 10 people were killed in the town of Hammuriyeh, said the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria. Another 19 died in Jisreen and other towns, the monitor said, bringing to 724 the number of civilians killed since the assault began, including at least 170 children. The UN Human Rights Council on Monday ordered investigators to probe the latest violence, after the world bodys rights chief warned crimes against humanity had likely been committed and that its perpetrators would not get away with this.