This version has been updated to reflect the new developments in Afrin and Eastern Ghouta.
Attacks on Eastern Ghouta Kill At Least 250 People in Two Days
At least 250 people were killed in government attacks on the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus since Sunday night, according to the Reuters.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that stepped-up attacks are a prelude to a government-led ground offensive against the besieged opposition holdout east of the capital.
The death toll is slated to rise as the critically injured succumb to their wounds. According to the Associated Press, another 1,000 people were wounded in the 48-hour attack.
The United Nations on Monday called for an immediate end to hostilities in the area, according to Reuters.
“The humanitarian situation of civilians in East Ghouta is spiraling out of control,” Panos Moumtzis, U.N. regional coordinator for the Syria crisis, said in a statement. “Many residents have little choice but to take shelter in basements and underground bunkers with their children.”
Pro-government Forces Enter Afrin to Aid Kurdish Militia
Pro-government forces entered the Kurdish enclave of Afrin on Tuesday to aid Kurdish fighters battling Turkish troops and allied rebels in the district, Reuters reported.
The pro-government forces are comprised of militias loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but do not include the Syrian army itself.
Citing Syrian state TV, Reuters said that Turkey targeted pro-government fighters with shellfire, shortly after they entered the Kurdish enclave.
According to the Associated Press, Turkish shelling in the area forced journalists to flee.
The deployment brings Syrian pro-government forces closer to a direct confrontation with Turkish troops who have been fighting the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin since last month.
Speaking at a news conference in Amman, Turkey’s foreign minister said on Monday that no one could stop Turkey from striking back at government forces if their deployment was meant to bolster the Kurds against Turkey.
“If the regime is entering to protect the YPG, then no one can stop us, stop Turkey or the Turkish soldiers,” Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Turkey Eyeing New Observation Post in Northern Syria
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart discussed the prospect of establishing new Turkish observation posts in northwest Syria, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency said on Monday.
The observation post, Anadolu said, will be set up some 43 miles (70km) from the Turkey-Syria border. It will put Turkish troops within 6 miles (10km) of Syrian troops and Iranian-backed militias, Anadolu said.
Reports of Turkey eyeing a new observation post come less than a week after Ankara established its sixth observation post in northern Syria as part of a de-escalation zone agreement brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran in May. The observation post was set up in the Surman region of southeast Idlib.
Turkey agreed to set up 12 observation posts in northern Syria under the de-escalation zone agreement, which aims to reduce fighting between rebels and the government in protected areas.
The deal has been undermined by increased government attacks on de-escalation zones in Idlib, Eastern Ghouta and northern Hama in recent months.
Recommended Reads
- Agence France-Presse: Dead or Alive, Parents in Syria’s Ghouta Search for Children
- The Guardian: U.S. Role in Syria Alarms Turkey and Could Dent Prospect of Peace Deal
- The New York Times: Kurdish Syria, Where the Fallen Find Fame
- The National: Russia’s Use of Mercenaries in Syria Is Causing Trouble Back Home
- War on The Rocks: Israel’s Deepening Involvement With Syria’s Rebels