7,000 civilians leave rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta towards Syrian army positions - Syrian Observatory

More than 7,000 civilians have left the rebel-held town of Hammouriyeh in eastern Ghouta towards Syrian army positions, according to the Syrian Observatory. The mass departure comes amid a drive by government forces to recapture the region.

According to Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman, it is the biggest group of people to flee the rebel enclave since government forces launched a deadly offensive in February to recapture it.