19 killed, dozens wounded in Ukraine amid rising tensions

World Today

A woman wipes a tear outside of her home in the town of Svitlodarsk, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 30, 2015. Photo: AP

At least 19 people have been killed and dozens of others wounded in fighting in eastern Ukraine over the past day, underscoring the escalation of tension in the almost ten-month conflict, reports showed Thursday.

“The situation remains tense. In the past 24 hours, the armed groups carried out 103 attacks on Ukrainian positions,” the press service of the government’s military operation said.

Intense fighting was still taking place in the main rebel-controlled Donetsk city and near Debaltsevo town, which lies on the highway, linking Donetsk with another insurgent stronghold of Lugansk.

According to Donetsk municipal council, shelling in the city overnight killed three civilians and wounded ten others.

This story is compiled with information from Xinhua.