Press release
Syrian Coalition
Media Department
February 6, 2018
The large-scale terrorist onslaught the Assad regime forces, backed by the Russian occupation forces, have unleashed on the Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta continues unabated. Airstrikes carried out over the past few hours caused massacres claiming the lives of dozens of civilians and leaving dozens more wounded.
The ongoing onslaught on eastern Ghouta represents a serious escalation of violence as the Assad regime clearly seeks to undermine all chances of political solution at all levels through the relentless bombardment and the trampling of all so-called red lines. The Assad regime and Russian occupation jets are also bombing residential areas, mosques, civil defense centers, and medical centers.
Civil defense teams are make tremendous efforts and working under extremely dangerous conditions to assist the victims, rescue those trapped in the rubble, and document the increasing number of victims of the constant heavy bombardment.
According to local activists, highly destructive munitions are being used in the bombings which are flatting whole buildings. The relentless bombings have also caused an upsurge in internal displacement in eastern Ghouta along with unimaginable deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
The death toll resulting from the massacres that took place over the past few hours continue to rise. According to the latest figures:
- At least seven civilians were killed in the town of Arbeen, including women and children. Many others were also injured.
- At least six civilians were killed in Kafarbatna, including women and children.
- Seven civilians were killed in Douma.
- Five civilians were killed in Misraba.
- At least four civilians were killed in Hammouriya, including women and children. Many others were also injured.
- Seven civilians were killed in Hazza, Saqba, and Madiyara.
No fewer than 350 civilians have been killed in eastern Ghouta in the past few weeks. It is important to recall that the Assad regime’s use of chlorine gas in attacks on populated areas has become the new normal as it is no longer met with any appropriate response from the international community.
These grave developments must not go unnoticed by sponsors of the political solution. Massacres and terrorist attacks on civilians cannot continue side by side with any kind of talks about political solution which itself faces many challenges and obstacles as well as complete absence of seriousness and commitment on the part of the Assad regime.
The utter silence by the international community and sponsors of the political solution over these barbaric attacks and the massacres resulted from them is tantamount to giving a green light to the perpetrators to carry on with their crimes. This silence also represents, in the eyes of the Syrian people, complicity in the aggression against them.
The US administration has recently warned of the use of chemical weapons, apparently unware of the fact that the Assad regime has been using these weapons on an almost daily basis in blatant violation of all international resolutions and the so-called red lines. Such attacks have also exposed the international community’s inaction and failure amounting to complicity in the crimes being committed against the Syrian people.
The Syrian Coalition warns that the any further escalation in these attacks will inevitably result in the collapse of the political process. It is imperative, therefore, that the international community intervene immediately to stop this terrorist campaign and rein in the Assad regime and its backers.
