Dozens die in assault• BEIRUT — Syrian troops flushed out rebels from a Damascus suburb Saturday, regaining control of a key area just outside the capital after a 10-day assault that left dozens dead and hundreds wounded and caused a major humanitarian crisis.
The offensive against Douma forced residents and fighters to flee, leaving a trail of destruction and bodies in the streets, activists said.
In Zamalka, another suburb of Damascus, activists said more than 30 people were killed and many others wounded Saturday when a mortar shell struck a car that exploded as a funeral procession was taking place.
The exact circumstances were not clear. It was not known who fired the mortar.
The sprawling suburb of Douma, on the outskirts of Damascus, has been a hotbed of dissent against the Assad regime since the start of the uprising in March 2011. Securing control of the suburb for a sustained period would be a significant triumph for the regime.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and local activist Mohammed Saeed said regime forces recaptured Douma late Friday. The latest offensive was the worst of several assaults on the area, the Observatory said.
The Associated Press
