Syria: scores of civilians killed in government air strikes

More than 100 civilians are believed to have died in overnight raids near Damascus, as Syrian government forces prepare a ground operation to recapture opposition-held Eastern Ghouta.

The Damascus suburb has been under fire since Sunday and at least 15 children are among the dead, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The enclave is the last remaining opposition-held territory near the capital, the BBC reports, and is completely surrounded by areas under government control.

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“The attacks on the Eastern Ghouta area since Sunday have hit not only civilians but also their means of survival, targeting bakeries, warehouses and anything else that may hold food supplies,” says the news site.

Meanwhile, another flashpoint threatens Syrian stability as the country approaches its eighth year of civil war.

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag warned Syria of “disastrous consequences” should Syria send government forces to reinforce the Kurdish YPG in their fight against the Turks in northern Syria, reports CNN.

Three Kurdish militia - the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) - have been the target of a month-long Turkish offensive in Afrin aimed at clearing the border.