Bombing kills 71 in Syria

BEIRUT: A surge in attacks by the Syrian government and its allies has killed 71 people in the rebel-held eastern Ghouta pocket near Damascus in 24 hours, a war monitoring group said on Monday. Air strikes, rocket fire and shelling on several parts of the besieged suburbs also wounded 325 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The British-based monitor said the escalation had started on Sunday evening in Ghouta, the only major insurgent enclave around the capital. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian military. The Damascus government has said it only targets militants.