Assad troops set for final assault on Ghouta rebels
Hannah Lucinda Smith, Istanbul
A young victim of the Assad airstrikes on eastern Ghouta waits for treatmentMOHAMMED BADRA/EPA
Thousands of people are fleeing their homes in eastern Ghouta as President Assad's forces launch what appears to be a concerted attempt to stamp out the last rebel strongholds around Damascus.
The UN says an unacceptable "collective punishment" is being meted out to the 350,000 people thought still to live in the area, which was one of the first to host protests against the regime in March 2011. As Assad himself became the focus of the protests and the uprising turned violent, eastern Ghouta became a rebel stronghold. An array of groups from moderates through to hardline Islamists are fighting in the area, but civilians remain in the front line of the attacks.
However, for the first time in a month, the UN said today…