Syria's President Assad Is Still Pounding Damascus Residential Districts, With Dozens Killed In Ghouta

The world may be gripped by the horrors perpetrated by the Islamic State group, but a wider bloodbath provoked by Syria's civil war is continuing unabated, with several hundred people killed in the past week alone.

Syrian opposition activists said Friday that the government has increased airstrikes against their strongholds in recent days in hopes of wearing out rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad.

"Everything Daesh is doing now, the (Syrian) regime has done before and is still doing," said Syrian activist Ahmed al-Ahmad, referring to the Islamic State group by its Arabic acronym. "But the world protects Assad and only cares about Daesh crimes."

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which documents Syria's civil war through a network of activists on the ground, said it already has recorded some 650 airstrikes across Syria this month. These include more than 350 barrel-bomb strikes in several areas, including the eastern Damascus suburbs called Eastern Ghouta, Aleppo and the nearby city of Idlib, and the southern province of Daraa.

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  A Syrian man walks amid debris inside a heavily damaged building following reported air strikes by regime forces in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, on February 9, 2015.
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  An injured Syrian man waits for treatment at a clinic in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, following reported air strikes by regime forces on February 9, 2015.
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  DAMASCUS, SYRIA - FEBRUARY 9: Search and rescue team and people make rescue operations among debris after the Syrian army's warcrafts hit the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, at least 23 killed and 50 wounded, on February 9, 2015.
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  DAMASCUS, SYRIA - FEBRUARY 9: Search and rescue team and people make rescue operations among debris after the Syrian army's warcrafts hit the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, at least 23 killed and 50 wounded, on February 9, 2015.
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  DAMASCUS, SYRIA - FEBRUARY 9: Syrians carry wounded people after the Syrian army's warcrafts hit the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, at least 23 killed and 50 wounded, on February 9, 2015.
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  DAMASCUS, SYRIA - FEBRUARY 9: Search and rescue team and people make rescue operations among debris after the Syrian army's warcrafts hit the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, at least 23 killed and 50 wounded, on February 9, 2015.
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  An wounded Syrian man sits as he receives treatment at a clinic in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, following reported air strikes by regime forces on February 9, 2015.
• Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
  Search and rescue team work after the Syrian army's warcrafts hit the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, at least 23 killed and 50 wounded, on February 9, 2015.
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  Syrians search for survivors at the site of reported air strikes by regime forces in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, on February 9, 2015.
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  Syrian onlookers gather outside a damaged building as search continues for survivors at the site of reported air strikes by regime forces in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, on February 9, 2015.
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  An injured Syrian man waits for treatment at a clinic in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, following reported air strikes by regime forces on February 9, 2015. The opposition bastion came under a massive government aerial assault on February 5, 2015, after rebels fired more than 120 rockets and mortar rounds into the capital.
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  Syrian emergency personnel extinguish a fire following reported air strikes by regime forces in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, on February 9, 2015. Tens of thousands of residents trapped in the rebel bastion suffer from food and medical shortages, as well as deadly regime bombardment.
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  A Syrian girl reacts as she sits at a clinic in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, following reported air strikes by regime forces on February 9, 2015. Tens of thousands of residents trapped in the rebel bastion suffer from food and medical shortages, as well as deadly regime bombardment.
• Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
  Search and rescue team and people make rescue operations among debris after the Syrian army's warcrafts hit the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, at least 23 killed and 50 wounded, on February 9, 2015.
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  A wounded Syrian boy reacts as he receives treatment at a clinic in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, following reported air strikes by regime forces on February 9, 2015. Tens of thousands of residents trapped in the rebel bastion suffer from food and medical shortages, as well as deadly regime bombardment.
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  A wounded Syrian boy reacts as he receives treatment at a clinic in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, following reported air strikes by regime forces on February 9, 2015. Tens of thousands of residents trapped in the rebel bastion suffer from food and medical shortages, as well as deadly regime bombardment.
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  Syrian men carry an injured person as they arrive at a clinic in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, following reported air strikes by regime forces on February 9, 2015. Tens of thousands of residents trapped in the rebel bastion suffer from food and medical shortages, as well as deadly regime bombardment.
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  Syrians search for survivors at the site of reported air strikes by regime forces in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, on February 9, 2015. Tens of thousands of residents trapped in the rebel bastion suffer from food and medical shortages, as well as deadly regime bombardment.
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  Syrian girls react as they sit at a clinic in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, following reported air strikes by regime forces on February 9, 2015. Tens of thousands of residents trapped in the rebel bastion suffer from food and medical shortages, as well as deadly regime bombardment
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  An injured Syrian man reacts after receiving treatment at a clinic in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, following reported air strikes by regime forces on February 9, 2015. Tens of thousands of residents trapped in the rebel bastion suffer from food and medical shortages, as well as deadly regime bombardment.
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  Syrians search for survivors at the site of reported air strikes by regime forces in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, on February 9, 2015. Tens of thousands of residents trapped in the rebel bastion suffer from food and medical shortages, as well as deadly regime bombardment.
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  An injured Syrian boy sits in a chair as he awaits treatment at a makeshift hospital following reported air strikes by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in the rebel held area of Douma, north east of the capital Damascus on February 8, 2015. The key rebel bastion on the outskirts of Damascus has been under siege for nearly two years, leading to food and medical shortages.
• ABD DOUMANY via Getty Images
  Syrians search for survivors at the site of reported air strikes by regime forces in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, on February 9, 2015. Tens of thousands of residents trapped in the rebel bastion suffer from food and medical shortages, as well as deadly regime bombardment.

Original Article
Source: huffingtonpost.co.uk/
Author: Jessica Elgot