Regime forces violate ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian regime forces have violated Russian-brokered ceasefire deal in the Eastern Ghouta Suburbs near the capital as ground and aerial bombing has been renewed on Wednesday, local activist said.

Douma coordination said the key town of Eastern Ghouta was rocked by mortar rounds. several people were wounded.

Also, the suburbs of Irbin, Qaboun and Tishreen were targeted by surface-to-surface missiles.

"Military aircraft, either Russian or Syrian, carried out two strikes on the edge of Arbin," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"These are the first airstrikes since the truce was announced" Tuesday afternoon, Abdel Rahman said, adding that government artillery also struck the town of Harasta in Eastern Ghouta.

An AFP correspondent in Douma told AFP that an warplane had struck the town, Eastern Ghouta's largest, and that residents who were outside had rushed back into their homes.

Abdel Rahman said 11 people were wounded in three raids on Douma Wednesday.

Russia's defence ministry Tuesday declared a two-week "regime of silence" in Eastern Ghouta, the last opposition stronghold near the Syrian capital.

Hamza Bayraqdar, a spokesman for the Army of Islam, told AFP Tuesday that the faction had not been notified about the ceasefire, but would not "reject any agreement to stop the bloodshed and suffering of our people".

And senior Army of Islam official Mohammad Alloush lambasted government ally Moscow Wednesday after the strikes.

"Russia's announcement of a cessation of hostilities in Eastern Ghouta is a political announcement -- militarily, it's not being executed," he told AFP.

"Russia wants to present itself as neutral and a sponsor of a political solution (to the Syrian conflict), but on the ground it's a different case," he said. (With AFP)