Assad’s forces continue their offensive in the eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus, as the Syrian government makes gains in the last rebel-held enclave adjacent to its capital. Meanwhile, a first load of trucks transporting humanitarian aid manage to enter the besieged territory, providing much needed relief to the civilian population. While the convoy entered the rebel-held enclave, the Russian military said it had used unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor its progress and successfully thwarted, what it called, “rebel provocations.” That said, upon its return, the humanitarian convoy only managed to evacuate 13 civilians, including five children, because – according to Moscow – the Islamist militants are holding the civilian population hostage to be used as human shields.