Rights group: 20 thousand barrel bombs dropped by Syrian regime in two years

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said on Monday that the Syrian regime has dropped at least 19,947 barrel bombs on areas controlled by the opposition since the adoption of UN resolution 2139 two years ago, leading to the deaths of 8,136 civilians.

The network released the report on Monday to mark the second anniversary of the resolution.

According to the report, the victims included 2,274 children and 2,036 women. The network has documented their names, photographs and a description of how they died.

The report stressed that the UN resolution specifically condemns the use of barrel bombs and called for the immediate cessation of all attacks on civilians and an end to the indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas.

The report states: “The only parties that own warplanes and helicopters are the ruling regime of President Bashar al- Assad and the Russian troops loyal to him.”

“However, the regime denies throwing barrel bombs, as well committing various other types of violations, like arrests, murder, forced disappearances, torture and so on, as well as preventing the entry of an International Commission of Inquiry and national and international human rights organisations and independent media,” it read.

The network said that the Syrian regime has used barrel bombs in a “systematic and widespread way” which “constitutes crimes against humanity”.