Syria civil war: 'Elephant rockets' kill dozens including children in Damascus suburb
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By Mark PiggottJune 18, 2015 00:01 BST
A man holds a girl who survived what activists said was heavy shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus(REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh)
At least 36 people, including children, are reported to have been killed in an attack on a suburb of Damascus, Syria reportedly carried out by forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
According to UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, soldiers attacked the suburb of Douma using improvised Iranian-made weapons known as "elephant rockets" due to the distinctive sound they make when fired.
Elephant rockets are made by attaching rocket motors to larger bombs, increasing explosive power but reducing accuracy, according to al Jazeera.
U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura, who has just completed a short visit to Syria during which he met Assad, roundly condemned the attacks.
A boy stands on rubble as people try to put out a fire after what activists said were airstrikes followed by shelling(Mohammed Badra/Reuters)
"The special envoy stresses that the heavy bombings by government forces last night on Douma, which caused significant civilian casualties, calls for a strong condemnation," said a UN statement following de Mistura's visit.
"No context justifies the indiscriminate targeting of civilian areas or the use of collective punishment by a government."
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Syria civil war Elephant rockets kill dozens including children in Damascus suburb?