SYRIA CONFLICT

All parties committed war crimes in Aleppo: UN

UN human rights investigators say Syrian civilians fell victim to war crimes committed by all parties during the battle for Aleppo last year, reports BBC.
Daily air strikes by Syria's government and its ally Russia claimed hundreds of lives, according to a new report.
Government forces also dropped chlorine bombs, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties, it alleges.
Rebels are meanwhile accused of firing shells indiscriminately at government-held areas and of using human shields.
The evacuation of the rebel enclave in eastern Aleppo in December, which brought the battle to an end, also amounted to forced displacement, the investigators say.
The investigators from the UN Human Rights Council's commission of inquiry on Syria interviewed hundreds of eyewitnesses, and examined satellite imagery and remnants of explosive devices.
They found civilians caught in the fighting during the last six months of the battle for Aleppo were left vulnerable to repeated violations of international law.
As part of a strategy to force those inside the city's rebel-held east to surrender, pro-government forces imposed a siege in late July, trapping civilians without adequate food or medical supplies, and stepped up an aerial campaign. The investigators singled out the air strikes that destroyed or otherwise rendered all hospitals in eastern Aleppo out of service by December, noting that no military targets were identified as being present in or around the facilities, and that no warnings were given prior to any of the attacks.
The report does not, however, state explicitly that Russian air strikes violated international law. The Syrian and Russian air forces use the same planes and many of the same weapons, and UN investigators were unable to connect Russia to any particular incident.
At the time, both the Syrian and Russian governments denied targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure, and blamed rebel fighters for operating in residential areas.
The report also alleges that Syrian government forces carried out September's attack on a humanitarian convoy in a rebel-held town west of Aleppo, in which 15 aid workers died.
The attack was carefully planned, the report alleges. Bombs designed for soft targets were chosen, and when the aircraft ran out of bombs, they strafed survivors.
The Syrian government has denied responsibility for the convoy attack, which the US alleged at the time was carried out by Russian warplanes. Russia meanwhile suggested that a US drone was to blame.

 

SYRIA CONFLICT

All parties committed war crimes in Aleppo: UN

UN human rights investigators say Syrian civilians fell victim to war crimes committed by all parties during the battle for Aleppo last year, reports BBC. Daily air strikes by Syrias government and its ally Russia claimed hundreds of lives, according to a new report. Government forces also dropped chlorine bombs, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties, it alleges. Rebels are meanwhile accused of firing shells indiscriminately at government-held areas and of using human shields. The evacuation of the rebel enclave in eastern Aleppo in December, which brought the battle to an end, also amounted to forced displacement, the investigators say. The investigators from the UN Human Rights Councils commission of inquiry on Syria interviewed hundreds of eyewitnesses, and examined satellite imagery and remnants of explosive devices. They found civilians caught in the fighting during the last six months of the battle for Aleppo were left vulnerable to repeated violations of international law. As part of a strategy to force those inside the citys rebel-held east to surrender, pro-government forces imposed a siege in late July, trapping civilians without adequate food or medical supplies, and stepped up an aerial campaign. The investigators singled out the air strikes that destroyed or otherwise rendered all hospitals in eastern Aleppo out of service by December, noting that no military targets were identified as being present in or around the facilities, and that no warnings were given prior to any of the attacks. The report does not, however, state explicitly that Russian air strikes violated international law. The Syrian and Russian air forces use the same planes and many of the same weapons, and UN investigators were unable to connect Russia to any particular incident. At the time, both the Syrian and Russian governments denied targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure, and blamed rebel fighters for operating in residential areas. The report also alleges that Syrian government forces carried out Septembers attack on a humanitarian convoy in a rebel-held town west of Aleppo, in which 15 aid workers died. The attack was carefully planned, the report alleges. Bombs designed for soft targets were chosen, and when the aircraft ran out of bombs, they strafed survivors. The Syrian government has denied responsibility for the convoy attack, which the US alleged at the time was carried out by Russian warplanes. Russia meanwhile suggested that a US drone was to blame.