Shelling kills 4 in Syria safe zones

Syrian government bombardment on two areas included in fragile "de-escalation zones" in the country killed four people yesterday, a monitoring group said.

One person was killed in air strikes on a safe zone in central Syria, and another three died in shelling on a zone near the capital, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Seven others were wounded in the regime shelling that killed three civilians in a town in the Eastern Ghouta zone, a rebel bastion near Damascus, the Observatory said.

The attack came a day after government shelling killed five civilians and wounded 10 more in the nearby town of Kfar Batna, the British-based Observatory said.

Air strikes have also pummelled rebel-held parts of the Jobar district of Damascus and the adjacent district of Ain Tarma.

Eastern Ghouta is one of four "de-escalation zones" announced in May by opposition backer Turkey and regime allies Iran and Russia after talks in Kazakhstan.

Three of the zones have been agreed so far: in Eastern Ghouta, the northern parts of central Homs province, and in Syria's south.

The fourth zone, in northwestern Idlib province, has yet to be implemented.

Meanwhile, dozens of regime forces and jihadists have been killed in central Syria as the Islamic State group strives to hold off a regime advance there, a monitor said Wednesday.