A Day in Syria: April 18th 2018
By Caroline Pearse & H. E.
- The market at the west of Kafranbel in the province of Idlib was hit by the Russian aviation yesterday. Death toll: one civilian dead and three injured.
- With dozens of air raids and TNT barrels the Syrian regime targeted the mountains of eastern Qalamoun today. Eastern Qalamoun formed the backline of eastern Ghouta recently controlled by the regime. Many FSA, the Free Syrian Army, fighters from western and northern Qalamoun have barricaded themselves in Eastern Qalamoun since the Lebanese Hezbollah (Halech) occupied their villages.
- Fights took place today between the regime army and the FSA near Ar-Ruhaybah in eastern Qalamoun. Ar-Ruhaybah is 50km north of Damascus. It is close to the military airbase of Al-Qutayfah belonging to the regime. Six inhabitants of the city have died because of the bombings by the regime.
- A long convoy of deportees is getting ready to leave the city of Al-Dhoumeir at the east of Damascus on Thursday April 19. Close to 5000 inhabitants will leave their home heading to the Northern province of Aleppo.
- The president of the negotiation committee of the city of Al-Dhoumeir, Chaher Joumaa (Abou Ahmad), which has reached the agreement on the deportation of its inhabitants, has been shot dead by unidentified people.
- According to the Belgian magazine Knack, three Belgian companies are facing prosecution for allegedly exporting since July 2013 a chemical that can be used to make the deadly nerve agent sarin to Syria, in breach of international sanctions in use since 2014. An investigation was initiated concerning the export of components by these three companies to the Syrian regime, despite the prohibition that has existed since 2014.The companies involved are Belgian chemical group AAE Chemie Trading and two handling agents, Danmar Logistics and Anex Customs. The products were arriving through Lebanon then they were transported to Syria.
- The OPCW inspectors (the Organisation For The Prohibition Of The Chemical Weapons) didn’t enter the city of Douma because of shootings on the UN reconnaissance convoy in the city. The regime is accused of delaying their entry to hide alleged evidence of use of chemical attacks on April 7 2018.
- The FSA has caught two Hezbollah (Halech) fighters today in the surroundings of the city of Bousra in the province of Deraa
- Today of was a day of mourning for the Syrians, in memory of the Clock Square Massacre. On April 18 2011 the Syrian army and the security forces have fired on demonstrators on Clock Square in the city of Homs, leading to hundreds of victims and injured persons.
- Picture of the day : to support the children of Syria, the French photographer and activist Pascal Hanrion took part to a giant demonstration in Barcelona but in a very special way. He hung from a building in front of hundreds of thousands demonstrators who were calling for freedom for the catalan detainees. The French photographe is known for supporting the Syrian children and the White Helmets (members of the Syrian Civil Defense).
