Airstrikes on the town of Altal in rural Damascus by the Assad regime air force has continued for the fourth consecutive day. Barrel bombs were also used in the besieged town. The regime’s bombing knocked out the main power station in the town, leaving tens of thousands of people trapped inside without access to electricity.
Regime forces on Wednesday significantly escalated military operations on the town after a two-year relative calm.
The Syrian Coalition on Friday said that the international community’s silence over the terrible daily tragedy in Syria encourages the Assad regime and its allies to go further in the killing and displacement of the Syrian people. The Coalition pointed out that regime plans to storm the town of Altal and empty it of its local population must not be ignored as the Assad regime has already shown it is willing to commit crimes of unimaginable proportions to achieve its plans.
In addition to Altal, the bombed power plant provided electricity for the towns of Maaraba, Harna, Aldureij, and Albaath suburb in Rural Damascus.
An FSA source in Altal told Smart News Network that the FSA groups in the town rejected the Assad regime’s conditions to stop the bombardment. The Assad regime stipulated that the FSA groups in the town should surrender all weapons and then evacuate the town towards Idlib province or eastern Ghouta, except for 200 FSA fighters who will be chosen by the regime to participate in the military and civil administration of the town after their status has been settled.
The source said that the regime’s barrel bombing of the outskirts of the town aims to put pressure on the FSA groups to agree to the regime’s conditions, adding that the Assad regime requested that 25,000 draft dodgers in the town should settle their status. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Office)
