Syria: 77 civilians killed in regime bombardment

At least 77 civilians have been killed near Damascus in less than 24 hours in heavy bombardment by Syrian government forces as they prepare a ground operation to recapture the opposition-held enclave, a war monitor group said.

Air raids and artillery fired on Eastern Ghouta - a suburb of the Syrian capital - have killed at least 20 children since Sunday, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.

Some 300 people have been wounded during the attacks, according to the monitor.

"The heavy shelling targeted mainly all residential areas in Eastern Ghouta," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the SOHR, told dpa news agency.

Government forces are preparing to launch a major ground assault on Eastern Ghouta following the heavy bombardment, which began on Sunday, SOHR said.