Tit-for-tat attacks between the Syrian military and rebel factions in Eastern Ghouta ended in tragedy Friday when Syrian forces shelled the rebel-held enclave, killing 19 civilians including six children.
Eastern Ghouta is a suburb area of the capital city of Damascus which has been rebel dominated throughout the Syrian War. Syrian military forces have been paring off parts of the area for over a year now, and the rebels hold a very small area at this point.
Most of the casualties were in Douma, the main town in the district, and one which has been a common target int he fighting. Islamist rebel faction Ahrar al-Sham attacked a Syrian military base in the area on Tuesday, starting the latest flareup.
Indications are that in the course of all the firing on both sides over the past several days, there were few combatant casualties. As usual, civilians caught in the middle bore the brunt of the conflict.