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Nine killed as militants shell Damascus neighborhood

A source in police command said one of the shells landed on a bus station

MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. Armed groups violated the ceasefire on Monday firing mortar shells at a Christian neighborhood Bab Touma in Syria’s capital of Damascus, SANA news agency reported.

A source in police command said one of the shells landed on a bus station, killing nine and injuring another 23 people. The shells also fell in the neighboring al-Qass’a and al-Shaghour areas, causing damage and injuries.

The shelling was carried out by the armed groups based in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus. The Syrian army opened fire on the positions of the armed groups destroying their launching pads.

Eastern Ghouta is one of de-escalation zones set up under the May 4, 2017 agreement between countries-guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire - Russia, Iran and Turkey. The republic’s command announced ceasefire on July 22, 2017 but the militants have repeatedly violated the truce opening fire at the capital.

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