Photoblog: Syrian regime shelling kills 23 in Eastern Ghouta

Syrian regime shelling of the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta has killed at least 23 civilians and injured dozens in the past 72 hours.

The Damascus suburb has been battered by seven years of fighting and is one of the last bastions of rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

In August, Eastern Ghouta was subject to deadly regime airstrikes despite a July 22 ceasefire deal which established a -called "de-escalation zone" following an agreement a month prior.

Syrian forces bombed the Damascus suburb on Wednesday, with the shelling continuing into Friday, resulting in the deaths of 23 civilians in Jobar, Ein Tarma and Douma, witnesses told The New Arab.

The eight children who were killed in the bombings were identified as follows:

1. Mohammed Halaq

2. Sami Barber

3. Rami Barber

4. Ahmed Lahouda

5. Mohammed Laboda

6. Amina Khaddawardi

7. Imran Khaddawardi

8. Abdullah Al-Sayed

Pictures obtained by TNA from a source on the ground show the deadly bombings.

Russian and Syrian regime airstrikes have killed more than 150 civilians and injured dozens more in over a week of heavy bombingsin the opposition-held Idlib province.

Civil defence officials and aid workers said at least six hospitals, five defence centres, and several power stations were destroyed in the first few days of the airstrikes.

The Syrian regime army announced a halt in fighting in areas of Eastern Ghouta in July, but has repeatedly broken the ceasefire agreement.

The rebel enclave is in one of four proposed "de-escalation zones" designated in a deal reached by government allies Iran and Russia and rebel backer Turkey in May.

Syria's six-year war has seen 500,000 people killed, the vast majority believed to have died under regime and Russian bombing.

New photos from Eastern Ghouta show the scale of destruction in the opposition-held town just outside Syria's capital, Damascus. [TNA]