Damascus, Feb 20: Over 100 civilians were killed in the deadly military campaign launched by the regime forces in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta. In the blitzkrieg unleashed since Sunday, more than 260 barrel bombs have been dropped in the region by forces affiliated to embattled President Bashar-al-Assad.

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory For Human Rights, at least 30 among the deceased civilians are children. It further claimed that at least 300 others are injured in the "vicious military campaign" apart from those killed.

Despite United Nations appealing the regime forces to stop the bombardment on Monday, calling it "senseless human suffering", the Syrian Army continued launching strikes today. Reports also claimed that a medical facility was also targeted in the air-raids, which increased the casualties.

The Eastern Ghouta region -- the last rebel-controlled part of Syria -- is administered by two Islamist factions and one jihadi outfit, reportedly affiliated to the Al-Nusra Front.

According to the Syrian Observatory in Britain, the airstrikes by Assad forces will pave way for a ground-based military intervention. Although the operation may allow Assad to exterminate the jihadists from Eastern Ghouta, it will also result into unprecedented civilian casualties, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

Meanwhile, the prime political opposition to Assad in Syria - National Coalition (now based in Turkey) - has slammed the international community for its "deafening silence". It has also demanded Russia to take "corrective measures" and back away from the "massacre being perpetrated by Assad against his own people".

The Union of Medical and Relief Organisations (UOSSM), which runs over dozens of hospital facilities in rebel-administered parts of Syria, said the military campaign of Assad is "not a war, but a humanitarian catastrophe". The group claims over 500 civilians have been killed in Eastern Ghouta region in the past two weeks.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 20, 2018 04:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).