By Burak Karacaoglu and Mohamad Misto

EASTERN GHOUTA, Syria

Airstrikes carried out by the Assad regime in Syria’s opposition-held Eastern Ghouta district left at least 15 people dead on Friday, local civil-defense sources said.

According to Anadolu Agency correspondents based in the area, regime airstrikes targeted residential parts of the district, including Duma, Ein Tarma and Saqba.

Over the last four days, at least 334 civilians have been killed in Eastern Ghouta amid stepped-up attacks by regime forces, according to local civil-defense sources.

Home to some 400,000 civilian residents, Eastern Ghouta has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years, which has brought the district to the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Syria has been locked in a devastating conflict since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.

According to UN officials, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict to date.