At least 82 people have been killed and more than 200 wounded at a busy market outside the Syrian capital Damascus after bombs were allegedly dropped by government war planes.
The attack on the market in rebel-held Douma was one of the deadliest since the civil war began nearly five years ago – a war that has killed more than 250,000 and injured at least one million.
It came during rush hour, with Sunday being the beginning of the working week in Syria.
Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the incident was “an official massacre that was carried out deliberately”.
He added that planes had fired a first missile before returning to fire more missiles minutes later – attacking those who had come to help victims after the first attack.
Mr Abdurrahman said four missiles had been fired on the market and that the death toll was expected to rise.
Other activist groups reported casualty rates of at least 100 dead and 300 wounded, with rescuers still searching for survivors.
There were also reports of mosque loudspeakers calling for donations of blood from residents.
A Syrian military source told Reuters that air force strikes on Douma and nearby Harasta targeted the headquarters of the rebel group Islam Army.
Douma lies in the rebel-held region of Eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus and has been under government siege for nearly two years.
Almost 12 million people have been made homeless by Syria’s conflict, with more than four million people becoming refugees and another 7.6 million homeless within the country.