Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 5 March 2018

Syrian troops advance in rebel-held region near capital

aid delivery impossible. vilians had fled their homes
Syria’s Central Military Me- because of the advanc-
dia said government forces ing troops, with many of
captured at least six vil- them taking cover in un-
lages and towns along the derground shelters. “It is
edge of eastern Ghouta in a scorched-earth policy,”
the advance that began said Ghouta-based activist
late Saturday. The Central Nour Adam. “People are
Military Media later said moving out because of the
the troops continued their relentless bombing.”
movement, reaching the Eastern Ghouta, home to
outskirts of Mesraba, in some 400,000 people, has
central Ghouta. been under a crippling
The military advances siege and daily bombard-
come amid reports of ment for months. More
wide-scale internal dis- than 600 civilians have
placement as civilians flee been killed in the last two
government forces. weeks alone.
A reporter from state-run Hamza Beriqdar, spokes-
Al-Ikhbariyah TV accompa- man of the main rebel fac-
nied the troops and broad- tion in Ghouta called the
cast from Nashabiyah, a Army of Islam, said in an
village on the southeastern audio recording shared
edge of eastern Ghouta. on social media that the
This photo shows Syrians walking between destroyed buildings in Douma, after airstrikes and
shelling by Syrian government forces hit in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus, Syria. The reporter said the Syr- opposition fighters had to
Thousands of residents are huddling underground in basements and tunnels, hiding from the ian troops had crossed a retreat from some areas
horror raining down from Syrian army jets that almost never leave the skies. “moat” and seized around in eastern Ghouta amid
(Ghouta Media Center via AP) 12 square kilometers (4.6 a hail of fire from artillery
By SARAH EL DEEB Assad said the five-hour tries’ “dictionary of lies.” square miles). The advance shelling, airstrikes and heli-
Associated Press daily “humanitarian pause” Meanwhile, the United Na- was backed by intense copter attacks, also calling
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian Presi- in eastern Ghouta would tions said it planned to de- shelling and airstrikes. it a “scorched earth poli-
dent Bashar Assad vowed continue, to allow for any liver aid to a total of 70,000 Rebel factions said they cy.” He said the rebels are
Sunday to continue with a civilians wishing to leave people in the stricken re- launched a counteroffen- regrouping and will contin-
military offensive in a rebel- the area to do so. gion starting Monday after sive Sunday, sending fight- ue to fight, and he called
held region near the capi- “There is no contradiction it received approval from ers behind government on civilians in Ghouta not
tal, as troops and allied between the truce and the government to move lines in a series of attacks. to lose faith or criticize reb-
militias captured a number the military operation,” he in. U.N. officials had said The Syrian Observatory for el fighters to keep a unified
of villages and towns in the added. lack of approvals and con- Human Rights said the reb- front and maintain morale.
largest advance since a Assad also denied that the sensus among the warring els regained control of at Meanwhile, no civilians
wide-scale operation be- Syrian government car- parties, as well as the limit- least one town and fighting have left Ghouta through
gan last month. ried out toxic gas attacks, ed duration of the five-hour continued. a humanitarian corridor set
Speaking to a small group describing such reports as Russian-ordered humani- The Observatory and the up by Russia and the Syrian
of reporters in Damascus, part of the western coun- tarian pause, had made Syrian Civil Defense said ci- government nearly a week
ago. Russia has accused
Saudi’s powerful crown prince visits Egypt the rebels of preventing ci-
vilians from leaving, which

The rebels say the hu-
CAIRO (AP) — Saudi Ara- down in Cairo Sunday, generous financial and el-Sissi ratified the hando- insurgents have denied.
bia’s powerful crown Egyptian President Abdel- political support to el-Sissi ver of two strategic Red manitarian corridor is part
prince has arrived in Egypt Fattah el-Sissi’s office also since he led the 2013 mili- Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, of government efforts to
for a visit meant to deepen said “regional issues” and tary ouster of Islamist presi- triggering rare protests in forcibly displace the pop-
the alliance between two Egypt’s fight against Islamic dent Mohammed Morsi. Egypt. ulation, and have called
of the region’s powerhous- militants were discussed by Egypt is a member of a Relations were briefly on government forces to
es. phone with U.S. President Saudi-led coalition fight- strained in late 2016 over implement a full cease-fire
Soon after Prince Moham- Donald Trump. ing Iranian-backed Shiite differences related to the adopted by the U.N. Secu-
med bin Salman touched Saudi Arabia has given rebels in Yemen. Last year, Syrian war.q rity Council. q