Fresh barrel bomb attack reported in Syria's Yarmouk camp

Syria’s Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugees was hit by at least nine barrel bombs on Friday night, local activists say.

Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad dropped the bombs from helicopters on different parts of the sprawling camp, located in a suburb to the south of Syrian capital Damascus, according to local activist Rami al-Sayed.

The camp was also hit with shells, Sayed said – there were no reports of casualty figures, but buildings and infrastructure sustained severe damage.

The fresh attack came days after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Syrian government to "immediately end any military operation that could endanger the lives of civilians in Yarmouk camp and abide strictly by its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians during armed conflict."

Some 13,000 civilians remain trapped inside the camp, where Sayed warned that government forces were using a “scorched-earth policy”.

Yarmouk has been besieged by Assad’s forces since 2012, and residents say they have suffered malnutrition and an absence of medical care for years.

The camp was thrust into the spotlight last month when Islamic State fighters took control of some 90 percent of the area.

The group was repelled by a coalition of Palestinian resistance groups from within the camp – a group of Palestinian politicians also said they would support a joint operation by Palestinian fighters and the Syrian state with the aim of freeing the camp.