Syrian forces have renewed their assault on the besieged town of Moadamiyyat Ash Sham, southwest of Damascus.
Opposition activists report that Syrian ground troops have tried to enter the city from the east, clashing from insurgents, after artillery shelling — allegedly by the elite 4th Division commanded by President Assad’s brother Maher.
In previous attacks this autumn, the regime’s ground forces have attacked the town from the west side, getting about 200 meters inside before they were repelled.
Moadamiyyat has endured a military blockade for a year, with food and supplies cut off and aid halted and sometimes seized by Assad’s troops.
See Syria Video Analysis: The Story of Moadamiyyat Ash Sham — Does Anyone Care?
Amid malnutrition and even cases of starvation, some of the 12,000 people remaining within the town were evacuated in three operations in October and November (see Featured Photo). Activists claim that many of them were taken to unknown locations and that some were detained and abused.
The Local Coordination Committees claim 102 people were killed on Monday, including 38 in Aleppo Province, 24 in Damascus and its suburbs, 13 in Daraa Province, and 10 in Homs Province.
The Violations Documentation Center records 78,141 people slain since the start of the conflict in March 2011. Of the dead, 57,908 were civilians.
