Eleven civilians including six children and three women were killed and up to 60 others injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on Douma, according to local sources.
Shaam News Network reported that “intense air raids by the Russian enemy on civilian homes in the city of Douma led to the fall of many wounded including women and children.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least five non-combatants died – “a citizen woman, man and two of his children and the child of his brother” – when suspected Russian warplanes carried out around 30 raids on areas in city, Ein Tarma and elsewhere in al-Marj and in the Eastern Ghouta. It later reported the death toll had risen to eight and added that the death toll was expected to rise because there were more than 20 people injured, some in critical condition. Friday Prayers in Douma were cancelled as a result of the strikes.
According to the Damascus White Helmets, there were more than 10 raids by Russian warplanes on residential areas in Douma, in conjunction with “violent artillery shelling“. Most other sources also blamed Russia, with accounts of the number of raids carried out varying between 20 and 50.
Syrian Press Centre reported that “Russian warplanes have launched 21 air raid targeted the neighbourhoods of the city of Douma on Friday, resulting in the fall of the eight martyrs dozens wounded, most of them children, were killed.”
According to Al Jazeera, there were “more than 50 Russian warplane raids in Eastern Ghouta on Douma, Jobar, Ain Tarma and Zamalaka which killed 11 people and wounded many others. Five of the dead were in Douma.”
Baladi, attributing the incident to Russia, also put the death toll at eight, but said that as many as 60 were injured – most of them women and children.
However, Al Souria appeared to blame both Russia and the regime, saying: “the Russian and regime Aviation targeted a number of residential neighbourhoods within the city”. But it went on to add: “According to media activists from the city of Douma there have been more than 22 documented raids targeted several neighbourhoods within the city, with three Russian planes circling the skies coinciding with surveillance planes.
For his part, the correspondent of ‘Douma coordinating committee’ on Facebook said that 20 raids was carried out by the Russian Aviation within one hour on the neighbourhoods of the city under bombardment from rocket launchers.”
However, other reports, including those by the Syrian Network for Human Rights said that the regime was responsible. Some other sources referred to “terrorist groups”. Hour News tweeted: “According to SANA [government news agency] terrorist groups attacked Douma and Jobar in Damascus with missiles and shelling” – though didn’t identify these groups.
Annahar added that “Jaysh Al-Islam in Eastern Ghouta accused the regime of throwing two explosive barrels in an apparent breach of the ceasefire.”
The Violations Documentation Centre named 11 victims, including six children and one woman, as killed in regime shelling.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
