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Damascus Bombs Kill 9 in Christian Village

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Families in Syria are grieving after a barrage of mortars struck a predominately Christian district near Damascus Monday, killing nine and wounding 21 others. 

Just after 2 p.m., rebels fired several shells into the Bab Touma district, destroying several churches and buildings. 

The mortars instantly struck and killed three-year-old Elias Khoury. His parents were left severely wounded and both were rushed to intensive care. 

"I will not forgive them because of what happened to this child," said Nayfeh Khoury, the child's grandmother as she stood outside the hospital. "There will be no forgiveness."
  
Khoury says the child's parents still don't know their son is dead and keep asking to see him.
  
"We tell them he is in the children's hospital... We are lying to them now but then what? What will we say? What will we do, what can I do?" Khoury said. 
  
She explained that Elias was their only child after they spent four years trying to conceive. 
  
"They have buried us alive," she said, referring to rebels who committed the attack. 

Monday's bombing is the result of increased fighting between rebel and government forces in recent weeks. Forcers have pushed into eastern Ghouta, an area home to 400,000 people. The constant barrage of air strikes and artillery has killed dozens and lead to severe shortages of food, water, and medicine. 

President Bashar Assad has regained control over key areas of Syria in the past few years, but rebel groups are not backing down. As a result, innocent bystanders are often caught in the crossfire. 

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