Amnesty International reported that Russian air strikes in Syria have killed hundreds of civilians and destroyed residential areas of the country, trying to prove there is evidence of violations of the international law.
The document released by the organization focuses on six specific attacks perpetrated in the Syrian cities of Homs, Idleb and Aleppo between September and November, which killed at least 200 civilians and about a dozen fighters.
The report includes evidence suggesting that Russian authorities might have lied to cover civil damages caused by an air strike on a mosque and a hospital.
There is also evidence that suggests Russia uses internationally banned cluster munitions and unguided bombs in populated residential areas.
“[The Russian strikes] appear to have directly attacked civilians or civilian objects by striking residential areas with no evident military target and even medical facilities,” Philip Luther, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Amnesty International, said in a statement, according to Wradio.
According to Luther, these attacks could constitute war crimes, “and it is crucial that suspected violations are independently and impartially investigated”.
However, the Russian authorities have alleged their armed forces are attacking only “terrorists” targets and have denied killing civilians.
To elaborate their report, Amnesty interviewed witnesses and survivors of the alleged Russian attacks and has examined evidence on video and images, which show the results of these attacks.
The organization also noted that there were no military targets in the vicinity of the areas attacked in Syria, which suggests according to Amnesty, that the attacks may have violated international law and constitute, in some cases, war crimes.
In one of the bloodiest maneuvers documented by the organization, they pointed out three missiles fired at a crowded market in the center of Idleb, which resulted in the death of 49 civilians.
On Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian air strikes had killed 2,132 people since the campaign began at the end of September, including 710 civilians.
The Syrian conflict has killed more than 250,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes since it broke out in March 2011.
Source: Middle East Eye