Almost 200 killed in multiday bombardment of Syrian suburb

BEIRUT - A rebel-held suburb just outside the Syrian capital of Damascus witnessed some of the deadliest fighting of the country's long-running civil war Tuesday, even as the United Nations issued a plea to end the "senseless human suffering" in the enclave.

The bombardment, believed to be a prelude to a large-scale assault aimed at routing the rebels from eastern Ghouta, left at least 194 people dead and hundreds more wounded over 48 hours, activists said. The uptick in violence comes as the government of President Bashar Assad presses its advantage and tries to reassert