Sky News reported from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that heavy bombardment of the opposition holdout of Douma, outside Damascus, left 40 civilians dead on Friday, and a further eight civilians were killed on Saturday, the Observatory added.
The report says that Syrian government began targeting Douma after a calm week in an attempt to pressure Jaish Al-Islam. A rescue worker in Douma said to Sky News: "The bombing still hasn't stopped. There are three warplanes in the sky and two helicopters."
State TV said the air strikes are the result of Jaish Al-Islam's attacks on Damascus with mortar bombs which caused the death of six civilians and injured more than 30.
Last Sunday the State TV and pro-Assad newspapers said that the deal with Jaish Al-Islam would have involved the group handing over heavy and mid-sized weapons and acknowledging Syrian government sovereignty over Douma. While the top political figure in Jaish Al-Islam blamed Syria's international allies for the failure of the latest talks, according to the report.