Terrorist rocket, mortar attacks kill 7, injure dozens of civilians in Damascus

Takfiri militants fighting against Syrian government have launched heavy rocket and mortar attacks on the Syrian capital, Damascus, killing seven people and injuring dozens.

According to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is affiliated to the Syria opposition, five civilians and two soldiers have been killed and dozens more wounded, on Sunday as rebels in the Eastern Ghouta area fired more than 43 locally-made rockets and mortar rounds at several areas of central Damascus.

The attacks targeted al-Maliki and Mazzeh neighbourhoods, as well as Arnus and Sabaa Bahrat squares.

The militants’ move came two days after the head of the Takfiri group calling itself Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) threatened to carry out a rocket campaign against Damascus following the Syrian army’s massive attacks against militants’ positions.

Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 200,000 people, according to reports. New figures show that over 76,000 people, including thousands of children, lost their lives in Syria last year.

Over 7.2 million Syrians have also become internally displaced due to the ongoing crisis, according to the United Nations.

Western powers and their regional allies – especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – are supporting the militants operating in Syria.

The government of Assad has vowed to push ahead with its efforts to root out terrorism in the country and establish national reconciliation.