Syrian regime air strikes killed and injured 120 civilians on the first day of the revolution’s fifth year with fighter jets launching around 200 raids, while 210,000 people have reportedly been killed over the past four years.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced yesterday that the war in Syria has killed 215,000 people since the start of the protest movement against President Bashar al-Assad's regime on March 15, 2011. The Observatory director, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP that "we have documented the death of 215,518 people during the four years of war, including 66,109 civilians. More than 5,000 people have been killed since the beginning of February".
The Observatory said in an email yesterday at least 18 citizens have been killed and at least 100 others were injured, including children and women, when the regime's air forces carried out four raids on areas in the city of Douma in eastern Ghouta, adding that "the number of martyrs is likely to rise because there are dozens of cases in serious condition".
The Observatory pointed out "at least 153 air raids have been carried out by regime warplanes since Saturday morning, where regime's aircrafts targeted several villages, towns and cities in Syria. At least 81 of these air raids targeted areas in Jobar neighborhood and other areas in Douma, Arbin and some other areas in the northwest of the country".
"Regime helicopters dropped 72 explosive barrels on the towns and villages of Inkhil, Kafr Shams, Sheikh Miskeen, Aqraba, Ibtaa, Fiqia, Kafr Nasej, Salamleen and al-Mal in the province of Daraa; Kafr Zita, al-Lataminah, az-Zakat, Hasraia, Hamada Omar and Atshan in the province of Hama; Khan Shaykhun city and the towns of al-Habit and Aabdeen in the province of Idleb; Zabadani and Daraya in the countryside of Damascus; Mashara, Nabe as-Sakher and as-Suwaisah in the countryside of Quneitra; Handarat in the province of Aleppo; and areas in the city of Talbiseh in Homs. The bombing led to the martyrdom and injury of dozens of civilians, as well as damages to the property of citizens, while some of the wounded are still in dangerous situations", the Observatory explained.
"Twelve explosive barrels were dropped on areas in the city of Daraya in western Ghouta, while clashes took place between regime forces and Islamic battalions in the outskirts of the city of Arbin, east of the capital. Regime helicopters dropped eight explosive barrels on areas in the city of Zabadani, north of the capital", the Observatory said.
"At least 14 explosive barrels were dropped on Tel Antar area and the plains surrounding the town of Kafr Shams in the countryside of Daraa since the morning. Helicopters dropped more explosive barrels on areas in the town of Mashara in the countryside of Quneitra, which has witnessed violent clashes for several weeks between the Islamic battalions and the Nusra Front on one hand, and the Lebanese Hezbollah, supported by Iranian fighters, regime forces and National Defense militias on the other, in an attempt to progress in the region", according to the Observatory.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
