Spokesman for the Syrian Coalition Salem al-Meslet warns of a potential massacre by regime forces in the towns of Buqqin and Madaya which host many of the displaced people from Zabadani in Rural Damascus. It calls on the international community and the United Nations to assume their responsibilities to protect the residents of these two towns before it is too late.
“Despite the regime’s intensification of its atrocities and the tightening of the siege, it has so far failed to achieve any victory it badly needs in the disinformation campaign intended to boost the morale of its supporters.
Regime forces and the Hezbollah militia launched an offensive to take Zabadani 26 days ago, raining thousands of missiles and barrel of bombs on the besieged town. However, the regime’s ground attack is being met with stiff resistance, prompting regime forces to bomb the nearby town of Buqqin with dozens of barrel bombs though it has been observing a truce with the Assad regime.
Regime forces warned residents of the town that if they didn’t hand over the displaced people from the besieged town of Zabadani – who have taken refuge in Buqqin to escape regime forces and Hezbollah militia – it will be shelled from all directions.
The regime ordered us to hand over the wounded and injured from the city of Zabadani who had been moved to Buqqin”, an activist in the town said, pointing out that regime forces tried to storm the town but a group repelled the attack.
Buqqin has received more than 600 displaced families from the city of Zabadani over the past month. The town is currently observing a truce with regime forces on the condition opposition fighters from the town do not attack regime checkpoints in the region. (Source: Syrian Coalition)