Syrian forces begin new offensive in Eastern Ghouta

Rebel-held enclave near Damascus attacked from multiple fronts, hours after Security Council calls for 30-day truce.

Syrian government forces have launched a ground and air offensive in Eastern Ghouta, witnesses said, hours after the UN Security Councilvoted unanimously in favour of a resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria.

President Bashar al-asafads forces began fighting opposition groups from multiple fronts in the rebel-held enclave near Damascus on Sunday morning, while Syrian warplanes continued to shell the besieged area for the eighth consecutive day.

Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as al-nusra-front is one of the many opposition groups in control of some areas in the enclave.

The biggest group is Free Syrian Army-linked Jaish al-Islam that says it has captured and killed "a number of soldiers" as they tried to make their way inside the city, Al Jazeera's Osama Bin Javaid said.