The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Oways al-Shami of the Syrian Civil Defence say troops have taken Kafr Batna and large parts of nearby Saqba. The Russian military says more than 30,000 people have fled Syria’s besieged east Ghouta and that the flow is continuing. On Friday, YPG official Redur Khalil and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported an airstrike on the hospital. Airstrikes in Syria killed more than 100 people on Friday as civilians fled en masse. Under cover of allied Russian air power, Syrian government forces have been on a crushing offensive for three weeks on eastern Ghouta.

Source: National Post March 17, 2018 09:46 UTC