Assad regime, Russian airstrikes kill 60 in Eastern Ghouta

At least 60 civilians were killed Friday and hundreds more injured when Syrian regime and Russian warplanes struck a crowded market in Eastern Ghouta with incendiary bombs.

According to an Anadolu Agency correspondent in the town of Kafr Batna, warplanes had targeted the town’s main market, which was teeming with people when it was struck.

The bodies of the dead and injured remain scattered around the targeted market amid continued attacks featuring different kinds of weapons, including napalm, the correspondent asserted.

The latest wave of airstrikes hit the southern most enclave of Eastern Ghouta, from which thousands of civilians fled on Thursday into regime-held territory.

30 airstrikes and 28 bombes barrels with missiles, some of it were loaded with cluster and napalm on #EasternGhouta yesterday. Resulted the death of 21 civilians in #Zemlka and 7 in #Haza. #WhiteHelmets teams worked to rescue the injured and pull the bodies of the dead people. pic.twitter.com/k15CUfNi1T
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) March 16, 2018

The Russian military said that 4,127 people had left Ghouta Friday, the TASS news agency reported, citing a senior military official.

"As of now, 4,127 people have left the area. They are mainly old people, women and children," Russian Major General Vladimir Zolotukhin was cited as saying by the agency.

On Thursday, the Pentagon said Russia is "complicit" in the atrocities perpetrated by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because of its "deliberate" choice to violate the terms of a ceasefire in besieged Ghouta.

Syria's regime has recaptured half of the shrinking rebel enclave with air strikes that killed dozens Wednesday in defiance of United Nations calls for a halt to violence.

"The Russians made a deliberate choice not to restrain the Assad regime. Thus, the carnage in East(ern) Ghouta continues. Russia is morally complicit and responsible for Assad's atrocities," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White told reporters.

"We urge Russia to compel the Assad regime to stop killing innocent Syrians and allow much needed aid to reach the people of East(ern) Ghouta and other remote areas. We support our diplomats in their efforts to resolve the conflict with the United Nations-backed Geneva process."

The 15 UN Security Council members -- including the United States -- unanimously adopted a resolution last month demanding a monthlong ceasefire. But it has not been respected.

The Russia-backed Syrian army and allied militia began a fierce bombing campaign on February 18 on Eastern Ghouta -- the last opposition bastion near Damascus -- then launched a ground offensive a week later.

Russia, which was among those voting in favor of the text, indicated Thursday it would continue to back Damascus in its military offensive.

"We will continue fighting terrorists, we will finish them off, we will help finish them off in Eastern Ghouta, where the Syrian army is now conducting operations with our support," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The assault on Ghouta has left nearly 1,250 civilians dead, around a fifth of them children.

"Russia is either incompetent, committing illegal acts or both. Russia is propping up the Assad regime, not targeting Al-Qaeda affiliated terrorists in Syria. Russia could stop the civilian casualties in Syria," said White.

(With Agencies)

Zaman Al Wasl