18 People Killed in Bombardment on Eastern Ghouta

At least 18 people, including two children, were killed by government shelling and airstrikes on the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus on Monday, Agence France-Presse reported.

Citing the United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, AFP said at least 45 other people had been wounded by the attacks.

Monday’s bombardment comes one day after 23 people were killed in airstrikes on the besieged suburbs outside the capital. According to Reuters, more than 147 people have been killed by airstrikes and shelling of the Eastern Ghouta since pro-government forces, backed by Russian warplanes, launched an offensive nearly two weeks ago to reclaim one of the last rebel strongholds near Damascus.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on Monday that persistent bombardment was resulting in “huge numbers of wounded, reduced medical capacity and creating a disaster for patients in need of treatment,” AFP reported.

Russia on Monday proposed a two-day cease-fire in the area for Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Reuters. However, there has been no indication yet that the Syrian government will agree to end hostilities.

U.S. to Adjust Weapon Deliveries to Kurdish Partners in Syria

The Pentagon said on Monday that it will adjust weapon deliveries to its Kurdish partners in Syria.

It did not say that it will halt all weapon shipments to its allies, Reuters reported.

Although it is not clear what the “adjustment” will involve, Monday’s announcement comes two days after Turkey said that U.S. president Donald Trump has vowed to halt weapon shipments to Syrian Kurdish fighters, which Ankara considers to be a threat.

However, the Pentagon said on Monday that any adjustments made to weapon transfers should be based on battlefield requirements.

“We are reviewing pending adjustments to the military support provided to our Kurdish partners in as much as the military requirements of our defeat-ISIS and stabilization efforts will allow to prevent ISIS from returning,” said Pentagon spokesperson Eric Pahon, referring to the so-called Islamic State.

Kurdish officials told AFP Monday that any change to U.S. weapons deliveries does not spell the end of the military alliance between Washington and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

“There are no changes to the relations between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the U.S. administration,” Abdel Karim Amr, an official with the Kurdish semi-autonomous administration in northern Syria, told AFP. “Obviously, there will be an adjustment in the delivery of arms to the SDF after the elimination of ISIS, but there is no change in U.S. policy regarding coordination” with the alliance, he said.

Washington began supplying weapons directly to the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the main Kurdish group in Syria, this year as part of its campaign against ISIS in Syria. The decision infuriated Turkey, which considers the YPG a terrorist group.

Syrian Government Delays Visit to Geneva

The Syrian government’s delegation to peace talks with the opposition in Geneva has yet to arrive at the eighth round of negotiations, which are set to open on Tuesday, dealing a blow to the highly anticipated talks.

Late on Monday, U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura told the Security Council that the delegation representing the Syrian government has yet to commit to the meeting, according to AFP.

“The government did not yet confirm its participation in Geneva but indicated that we would be hearing from them soon,” he said.

Citing Al-Watan, a pro-Syrian government newspaper, Reuters said that the delegation has postponed its departure because the Syrian government was annoyed by a statement released last week by the Syrian opposition that insisted on the departure of President Bashar al-Assad before the start of a political transition.

The Syrian government considered the statement a “return to square one,” Al-Watan reported.

Although the government is expected to arrive late to the talks, meetings between the opposition and the U.N. envoy to Syria are expected to begin Tuesday as planned.

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