WEB DESK
At least 23 civilians are reported to have been killed in a new wave of Syrian government air strikes on a besieged rebel enclave near Damascus in Syria,
Rescuers and a monitoring group said warplanes bombed several towns in the Eastern Ghouta yesterday, causing buildings to collapse on residents. Many people living in nearby government-controlled districts of Damascus have also been killed by shells fired by rebels based in the Eastern Ghouta.
File photo
An estimated 400,000 people are trapped in the Eastern Ghouta, which has been under a siege by pro-government forces since 2013. The UN has said the situation is extreme and appealed for a ceasefire.
UN officials have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, lasting for at least one month throughout Syria, to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid and services, plus evacuation of the critically ill.