Syrian,Russian jets bomb residential areas near Damascus

Jets believed to be Syrian and Russian struck heavily crowded residential areas in a besieged rebel enclave near Damascus, killing at least 27 people and injuring dozens in the third week of a stepped-up assault. 

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, the deadliest raids hit the town of Hammuriyeh, killing at leastt 17. Four other civilians were killed in the town of Arbin, while the rest came from strikes on Misraba and Harasta, the civil defence workers said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict, said yesterday's casualties were the biggest daily death toll since the stepped-up strikes began 20 days



ago. 

The monitor said nearly 200 civilians were killed in strikes and shelling, including many women and children, during that period.

Eastern Ghouta is the last remaining large swathe of rebel-held area around Damascus that has not reached an evacuation deal to surrender weapons in return for allowing fighters to go to other rebel-held areas farther north. 

Rebels accuse the Syrian government and Russia of violating the zones and say they were meant as a charade to divert attention from the heavy daily bombing of civilian areas.The Syrian government and Russia deny their jets bomb civilians and insist they only strike militant hideouts.