ARA News

Urfa, Turkey – At least 46 civilians have been killed under barrel bombs dropped by pro-Assad forces in Deir ez-Zor province in the past four days, local sources reported on Monday. 

“The eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor is witnessing the most intense assault by  pro-regime forces,” a media activist reported from the war-torn province in eastern Syria.

“The majority of victims are women and children,” he told ARA News on the condition of anonymity for security concerns.

The source added that dozens other have been pulled out of the rubbles caused by the explosion of barrel bombs, saying that the lack of equipment and medical assistance led to the death of many.

Deir ez-Zor, which has been under the control of the Islamic State (IS/ISIL) since more than a year, has also seen a campaign of beheadings by the radical group in the past few days.

Militants of the IS executed more than 34 civilians in Deir ez-Zor since Thursday.

“On Sunday, seven civilians were beheaded in al-Qorya subdistrict, and six others faced the same fate at the hand of the terrorists in a public square in the city of al-Mayadeen in Deir ez-Zor,” a local documentation group told ARA News, adding that at least 21 others were beheaded in Deir ez-Zor’s city center on Thursday and Friday.

The victims were brutally beheaded by the IS on charges of apostasy and cooperation with opponents. 

Reporting by: Jan Nasro

Source: ARA News