Dozens of Civilians Killed in Syrian Army Attacks Near Damascus

Following an airstrike by the Syrian army on an area near Damascus held by Syrian rebels, "at least 34 civilians, including 12 children, have been killed"; "12 people" were also killed in a missile attack by rebels on an area controlled by the central government. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, reported on Sunday, September 1, that the number of victims from the airstrike on Douma, which occurred on Saturday, has reached "34 civilians" including "12 children." Reuters reported that at least 50 bodies have been recovered from the rubble. The death toll has nearly doubled in the past hours. AFP quoted Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, stating that more bodies were found in the areas targeted during the night. According to this organization, several of Saturday's attacks killed all members of families residing in this area, northeast of Damascus. A video shared on social media shows the rescue of a child who survived the attacks from under the rubble. Syrian state television also reported that 11 people were killed in a missile attack by rebels on government-held areas, and one person was killed in Damascus itself. The reciprocal attacks between the Syrian army and rebels in the outskirts of Damascus, especially in Douma, have been intensifying for several days. A week prior, at least 100 people were killed in airstrikes by the Syrian army on Douma, which apparently targeted the "Jaish al-Islam" group. This rebel group had attacked "Harasta" the day before. The Douma area near Damascus is densely populated, and dozens of civilians have been killed in recent weeks in attacks that have repeatedly targeted its daily markets. The Syrian government claims that the attacks only target armed rebel groups. The airstrike by Bashar al-Assad's army last Sunday is considered one of the worst and deadliest attacks in the past four and a half years since the Syrian civil war began. The Syrian civil war has left at least 250,000 victims and has created one of the largest waves of refugees in the world, with 10 million people having left their homes.