Syrian Capital Wakes Up to Massive Rocket Attacks

Published at 7:13 am, February 5, 2015

EastIdahoNews.com Staff

Abou Khair el Shame/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(DAMASCUS, Syria) — Residents of Damascus, Syria, awoke Thursday morning to rocket attacks in the center of the city, apparently by the Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) — the second attack in as many weeks.

Syrian state news agency SANA said three people were killed and at least 30 injured when missiles hit areas near the city’s famous Umayyad mosque.

Jaysh al-Islam claimed Thursday’s attacks in central Damascus were retaliation for government attacks two days ago on an area where the group operates in the town of Douma, located in the eastern Ghouta farming belt near Damascus.

Charles Lister, an expert on Syria and current visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Center in Qatar, pointed to a Twitter account believed to be operated by Jaysh al-Islam leader Zahran Alloush.

Jaish al-Islam has begun a massive mortar & Grad rocket attack on central #Damascus, to “cleanse the capital.” #Syria pic.twitter.com/yaCQ4vYP2j

— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) February 5, 2015

Alloush tweeted that the group was retaliating against the “horrific massacres” committed by government warplanes in Ghouta.

تذكير للجميع :الضربات الصاروخية تأتي ردا”على المجازر المروعة التي يرتكبها الطيران الحربي في الغوطة المباركة… pic.twitter.com/OLmzVvC1C1

— زهران عبدالله علوش (@zahran1970) February 5, 2015

A Twitter account linked to the group’s website also claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attacks.

تنفيذا لما وعد : #جيش_الإسلام يطلق أكثر من 300 صاروخ على دمشق حتى اللحظة, والعملية مستمرة #صواريخ_جيش_الإسلام pic.twitter.com/KdCIG49Acs

— جيش الإسلام (@IslamArmy01) February 5, 2015

Following Thursday morning’s shelling, the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory on Human Rights said the government was pounding areas to the northeast of the city, killing at least 12 and wounding some 100 people.

نحو 160 شهيداً وجريحاً في العاصمة دمشق وغوطتها الشرقية http://t.co/rkOktcYfXW

— المرصد السوري (@syriahr) February 5, 2015

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