Muhammed Anas, Baladi News, Damascus Countryside
Regime forces attacked on Thursday morning the city of Darayya in the western countryside of Damascus "Ghouta" with surface-to-ground missiles and heavy artillery shells amidst attempts by regime's vehicles to advance and storm in the city in a clear breach of the UN temporary cease-fire agreement which is concluded under the patronage of Russia and the US.
The media center in the city of Darayya said: "The city was subjected to severe artillery and missile shelling amid the massing of huge numbers of tanks and minesweepers of regime forces on the southwestern side of the city, in conjunction with combing operations with "Shilka" weapon. The Centre indicated that these acts are a clear and flagrant breach of the temporary cease-fire which was decaled on Monday.
The battels have escalated recently on the outskirts of Darayya as the Syrian regime is preparing to launch a massive military operation to restore the city, while the Syrian opposition threatened on Sunday to withdraw from the truce if the Syrian regime did not stop shelling Darayya within 48 hours.
Russia's Defense Ministry called on Monday to adhere to appeasement in the Eastern Ghouta and the city of Darayya for 72 hours starting from Tuesday.
In the same context, regime forces prevented on the 12th of May a UN convoy carrying medical aid from entering the city of Darayya in the western countryside of Damascus, whereas eyewitnesses from inside the city confirmed that regime forces deliberately bombarded civilians who had gathered to greet the convoy, which led to the death of a father and his son.
It should be noted that the convoy had passed through the regime's checkpoints reaching the entrance of the city, but the checkpoint of the Air Force Intelligence prevented the convoy from entering despite having prior approval from the regime to enter the city. Consequently, the International Red Cross issued a statement denouncing the prevention of humanitarian aid convoys from entering the besieged city of Darayya in Damascus countryside and said: "The aid convoy accompanied by Red Cross and UN staff along with Syrian Red Crescent had been banned from entering the city of Darayya in the western countryside of Damascus." "The ban came despite the fact that the Red cross had already obtained the approval of all parties for the introduction of the first humanitarian aid to Darayya since the beginning of the besiegement in 2012", added the Red Cross.