Assad regime forces in the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta, the site of the April 7 chemical weapons attack, detained a number of young men wanted for mandatory military service this week, activists said. Families of the detainees said they were worried for the safety of their sons.
Smart News Network cited rights activists as saying that regime forces detained dozens of young people in Douma. It noted that most of the detainees were moved to Al-Duraij army base for recruitment in the ranks of Assad’s terrorist militias to participate in military operations and the looting of civilian homes.
Activists added that regime forces released some young men after forcing them to participate in the looting of the town of Al-Rayhan in eastern Ghouta.
The Syrian Coalition earlier said that the Assad regime continues to commit war crimes against civilians in all regions across Syria. It added that these crimes cannot be stopped without reaching a comprehensive political transition in Syria and holding war criminals accountable in the International Criminal Court.
According to rights groups, civilians in eastern Ghouta have been subjected to the most heinous war crimes and have been forced out of their homes after years of brutal bombardments, siege and starvation. Eastern Ghouta was also the site of many chemical attacks claiming the lives of hundreds of civilians, including dozens of children and women.
Last week, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) provided photographic and video evidence of the Assad regime’s responsibility for the April 7 chemical attack on Douma. The Network pointed out that the attack was aimed at putting increasing pressure on residents of the Damascus suburb to bow to the Russian conditions and leave their homes. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
