Al-Jazeera journalist wounded in Syrian regime airstrikes in Homs

One person was killed and 17 others wounded, including al-Jazeera journalist Jalal Suleiman as Syrian regime airstrikes struck the Houla region in the suburbs of Homs on Sunday.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

22 May, 2016

Syrian regime airstrikes flattened and completely destroyed homes in Homs suburbs [Anadolu]

At least one person was killed and over a dozen others wounded, including an al-Jazeera journalist, as Syrian regime warplanes struck the Houla area in the suburbs of Homs on Sunday.

"In less than an hour, 17 airstrikes were launched by the Syrian regime's air forces, targeting civilian homes," the Homs Media Centre said. "These were followed by shelling from heavy artillery by regime forces stationed in Qarmas village."

"The airstrikes killed one person and injured over a dozen others," the centre added, "Many houses were completely destroyed."

A journalist was among the wounded.

"Al-Jazeera's correspondent Jalal Suleiman was among those injured by the airstrikes," Homs Liberation Movement spokesman Suhaib al-Ali told The New Arab.

Activist Ahmed Orabi described Suleiman's injuries as "moderate," noting that "the northern suburbs have seen daily violence as regime forces and armed opposition clashed in al-Zara and Houla."

Homs has seen an escalation in violence as both Syrian air forces and Russian warplanes intensified airstrikes on opposition-held areas.

"More than 40 people were killed in the Houla area in the past week," Homs Liberation Movement spokesman told The New Arab, "Thirteen members of one family were killed in Rastan as a result of Russian airstrikes."

Syrian forces clashed with armed rebels, including al-Nusra Front militants, in northern Homs on Saturday, leaving dozens of causalities on the regime side as they struggled to retake the al-Zara village, where a majority is Alawite, the same sect as President Bashar al-Assad.