Also on Saturday, Syrian warplanes launched raids on the town of Yabroud and the surrounding areas in the strategic region of Qalamoun (north of Damascus), the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. The Britain-based Observatory said Saturday's attacks targeted several mountainous areas near Yabroud as well as the town itself, which was once home to around 50,000 people. The Observatory also reported that Syrian choppers dropped barrel bombs on the outskirts of Yabroud, the last major rebel-held area in Qalamoun.