The White House on Monday denounced the Syrian government’s bombing of civilian sites, singling out an airstrike Sunday at a market in a Damascus suburb that killed more than 100 people and injured hundreds more, including scores of women and children.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, who are enduing unimaginable suffering,” the White House said in a statement released Monday afternoon. “This latest tragedy is just another reminder of the inhumane acts perpetrated daily” by [Syrian] President Bashar Assad’s regime.
The White House called the airstrikes “abhorrent,” said they underscore that Assad has lost legitimacy, and urged the international community to do more to enable a “genuine” political transition.
The U.S. reaction came hours after the top United Nations humanitarian chief said he was “horrified” by the attack on civilians in Syria, one of the most deadly since the conflict began in 2011.
Violence in Syria has surged in the late summer as the Syrian government, along with Islamic militants and rebels, have led attacks.
Overall, Syria’s civil war has killed more than 250,000 people, according to the United Nations.
