In Syria, the United Nations warns civilians are being killed and wounded at a rapid pace, as fighting between government forces and rebels rages around the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta. This is Saif Abu Anas, an activist in the town of Saqba, east of Damascus.

Saif Abu Anas: “Today we are in the seventh day of the assault. There are almost 260 martyrs, hundreds of injured people, most of whom are women and children. Yesterday we saw the massacre that happened in Douma at night, and the massacre that happened in Jisreen three days ago, where 20 people were killed, and also the destruction and death we saw in Saqba, where whole neighbourhoods are being destroyed.”

The latest violence comes amid a series of clashes between external and internal powers in Syria, including Israel, Iran, Turkey and the Syrian government. We’ll have more on the crisis in Syria after headlines.