BEIRUT: The death toll from a Syrian government air strike northeast of Damascus neared 100, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Monday, making it one of the single bloodiest attacks of the four-year-long war.
The Observatory said 96 people were killed in Sunday’s attack, which hit a market in the rebel-held area of Douma.
Separately, rescue workers said 95 bodies had been identified and that a further nine victims had yet to be named.
A Syrian military source said the air force launched air strikes in Douma and the nearby area of Harasta against the headquarters of an insurgent group, Islam Army.
The Turkey-based Syrian political opposition group, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, said the attack aimed to inflict as many civilian casualties as possible.