The protracted conflict not only “severely affects” the lives of millions of people in Syria, it also threatens the stability of the entire region, Mr O’Brien said at a press conference in Damascus.
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“We have repeatedly urged the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the global Criminal Court, given that calls for accountability and justice in Syria have gone unheeded for four years now”, Colville said.
The director of the Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, reported that locals had collected in the area after the first strike hit a marketplace in town.
On Monday, the photographer said residents were burying the victims of the attack.
Douma is located in Eastern Ghouta’s rebel bastion, a region that is regularly targeted by official air strikes.
Amnesty global last 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.
Government forces dropped 25 barrel bombs on the town, which is of crucial importance to Assad and Hezbollah because of its location at the Lebanese border and proximity to Damascus, the Observatory said.
“Yesterday’s air strikes, following its other recent market bombings and attacks on medical facilities, demonstrate the regime’s disregard for human life”, State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement on Monday. Another 35 were buried on Monday, and the death toll was over 100, he said.
The U.S. reaction came hours after the top United Nations humanitarian chief said he was “horrified” by the attack on civilians in Syria, one of the most deadly since the conflict began in 2011.
The global community has also strongly condemned the air raids.
“It is unacceptable for those engaged in conflict to use access to water and other services as a weapon of war”, he said.
“Assad’s jet fighters fired missiles on marketplaces at (a) busy time when they are densely crowded with the intention of inflicting as many civilian casualties as possible”, a statement read.
The opposition National Coalition also responded cautiously. In addition to the three dead, state TV said another 20 people were wounded in the attack.
Assad and his backers say he was legitimately elected and can not be forced aside, but the opposition insists his departure must be part of any peace deal. Both Lavrov and Zarif said that there should be no preconditions for the resumption of talks.
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Moreover, as per Syrian Revolution Network, an online network of activists, around 50 markets have been bombed by the Assad regime since January and the market in Douma was bombed twice in four days.
