The Latest Assaults in Southern Damascus

Media Statement

Syrian Coalition

Istanbul, Turkey

June 19, 2013

Assad’s latest assaults continue to target southern Damascus neighborhoods. After eight months of continuous pounding, Assad’s forces are now preventing vital food and medicine into the area. The brutality of the regime’s military campaigns has increased sharply in the last two months and now includes the systematic targeting of doctors and activists of humanitarian relief organizations. These developments will certainly lead to a humanitarian crisis for the 120,000 civilians stranded in these southern Damascus neighborhoods.

Assad’s forces, with the help of Hezbollah and Abu Fadl Al Abbas brigade fighters, are attempting to advance using air support by launching rockets and heavily shelling areas. At their disposal are also tens of tanks, various armored vehicles and heavy weaponry.

Civilians in this area live in grim fear and anxiety, with no electricity and no way to escape from the anticipated large scale massacre that often follows these types of regime attacks.

The Syrian Coalition pleads with the international community to act immediately to prevent this imminent massacre in the rural areas of Damascus, as well as in the rest of Syria. The Assad regime has continuously transgressed against the people’s freedoms, putting Syrians in a position of having to choose between slavery and death.

It is time for the international community take a strong stance against Assad’s atrocities and to halt the needless deaths. We ask that all nations of the world support the Syrian people in their quest for freedom, democracy and human rights.