On February 8, the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) began an intense bombing campaign against Jaysh al-Islam, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Ahrar al-Sham Movement and Faylaq al-Rahman in the Eastern Ghouta region, near Damascus.
Syrian opposition sources reported that several Su-24MK, Su-22M4 and MiG-23BN warplanes of the SyAAF had destroyed dozens of headquarters, ammo depots and positions of the armed groups in the districts of Irbin, Duma, Harasta, Madira, Mesraba, Zamalka and Saqba during the last 12 hours.
According to pro-government sources, dozens of opposition fighters, including a general commander of Jaysh al-Islam “Nour Abd al-Jalil”, were killed in the SyAAF airstrikes. Meanwhile, local also said confirmed that the bombing campaign had resulted in a high count of civilian casualties.
As a response to the SyAAF bombing campaign, the armed groups in the Eastern Ghouta region shelled several districts in the eastern part of the Syrian capital with dozens of mortar rounds. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said that one civilian was killed and several others were injured in the shelling on Damascus.
The SyAAF bombing camping is likely aimed at pressuring Jaysh al-Islam, HTS, the Ahrar al-Sham Movement and Faylaq al-Rahman after they refused to accept a ceasefire agreement that was reached during the Vienna talks.
