58 killed in rebel-held area of Syria

The strikes come as United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien visits the country for the first time since taking over the post in May.

A Syrian Civil Defense official contacted by Reuters said both videos were shot on Sunday and a person heard on camera giving the date as August 15 had done so by mistake.

The conflict began with a wave of peaceful protests against President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011, but by the end of that year had descended into armed confrontation between the government and armed opposition groups.

A Syrian military source said air force strikes on Douma and nearby Harasta targeted the headquarters of the rebel group Islam Army.

Civilians accounted for most of those killed, it said, and the death toll was expected to rise further because numerous wounded were in serious condition.

The Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, said the air strikes killed at least 100 and wounded about 300, adding that rescue workers were digging through the rubble in search of survivors.

Douma lies in the rebel-held region of Eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus and has been under government siege for almost two years.

Amnesty global earlier in the week accused the government of committing war crimes in Eastern Ghouta, saying its heavy aerial bombardment of the area was compounding the misery created by the blockade.

The Syrian regime on Sunday conducted several airstrikes near Damascus, killing at least 58 people and wounding hundreds more, AFP reported.

Close to 12 million people have been displaced or become refugees because of Syria’s war.

“We are committed to continuing to support humanitarian efforts in Syria”.

The al-Nusra Front kidnapped the men in late July, accusing them of serving American interests.