Member of the Syrian Coalition’s political committee Muhammed Qaddah condemned the ongoing bombing campaign by the Assad regime and Russian forces in Dara’a province. The Assad regime and Russian forces have launched a brutal bombing campaign in Dara’a province for nearly a week, mainly targeting residential areas and vital civilian facilities.
Activists published videos and photos showing the massive destruction to residential buildings resulting from the intense aerial and artillery bombardment by the Assad regime and Russian forces in Dara’a city and its countryside. The most violent bombardment targeted Dara’a Albalad and Tarqi Alsad districts as well as the towns of Bosra Alsham, Dael, Naemeh, Um Almaiyazin, Alyadoudah, and Alghariya Algharbiya.
Friday prayers were cancelled in most towns and villages in Dara’a province for fear of the constant bombardment as the Russian and Assad regime jets continue to target any form of gathering of people in the province.
Qaddah said that the assault on Dara’a by the Assad regime and its allies prompted the FSA to respond to defend civilians, considering this as a “legitimate right.” He urged the international community to take action to ensure the safety of civilians in Dara’a and elsewhere in Syria.
The towns and villages in the Lajat area in eastern rural Dara’a have been subjected to relentless artillery shelling by regime forces since early January, resulting in mass displacement of people and massive destruction.
The Ministry of Health in the Syrian interim government condemned the targeting of hospitals and health facilities by the Assad regime and Russian forces as well as their repeated violations of the cease-fire agreement.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry said that Russian jets have bombed several field hospitals in Dara’a province in the past few days, putting them out of service.
The Ministry called on the international community not to fall for lies perpetuated by the regime denying the targeting of civilians and civilian and health facilities. The Ministry has documented dozens of attacks by regime forces against civilians and hospitals in 2017, some with the use of chemical weapons. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)