Syrian government forces Monday escalated their bombing campaign around Damascus, raining shells down on rebel territory and sending out a "bloody message" just days before renewed peace talks in Geneva. Representatives from the opposition and of President Bashar al-Assad's regime are to head to Switzerland on Thursday for another attempt to end t
heir country's brutal six-year war.
But regime forces Monday escalated their bombing of the edges of Syria's capital, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and activists on the ground.
"The toll in regime air strikes on (northern rebel district of Damascus) Barzeh has increased to seven people, including a woman and child," the Observatory said, adding that 12 more had been wounded.
The Britain-based monitor said rockets also hit the northeastern opposition-controlled neighbourhood of Qabun overnight and into Monday morning.
Rebels and regime forces reached a local ceasefire in Qabun in 2014, but violence erupted there at the weekend when 16 people were killed in government rocket fire on a funeral.
"This is the third day of bombardment - rockets, artillery, mortars, and air strikes," said media activist Hamza Abbas, speaking to AFP via internet from Qabun, where he said he could hear non-stop shelling.
"The bombardment is targeting three neighbourhoods - Qabun, Barzeh, and Tishreen," Abbas said.
A Syrian military source contacted by AFP declined to comment on the operations.