Amnesty International: Possible War Crimes in Russian Attacks in Syria

Amnesty International states that at least 200 civilians have been killed in Russian airstrikes in Syria, with some attacks carried out 'directly' against civilians or residential areas. On December 22, the organization noted that some of Russia's attacks in Syria may constitute war crimes and emphasized the importance of independent investigations into them. In its statement, Amnesty International mentioned that some attacks by Russia were 'directly targeting residential areas, against civilians or places where they were present, without any evidence of military or even medical targets.' The result has been civilian casualties. Concurrently, there is speculation that the Russian army has used cluster bombs or bombed residential areas with unguided bombs. The Amnesty International report covers the period from September to November and includes attacks in Homs, Idlib, and Aleppo. Aleppo is one of the key centers of conflict between some rebels and forces loyal to the Syrian central government or their allies. Some senior commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard have also been killed around Aleppo. Iran and Russia are among the main supporters of Assad's government. Russia claims its airstrikes are aimed at targeting the group known as 'Islamic State' and 'other terrorists.' Since the start of Russian airstrikes, countries like the United States and organizations like NATO have stated that most of these attacks are not against extremist groups but against rebels supported by the West. Amnesty International also noted that Russian officials have either denied or remained silent after some attacks on civilians. One of the incidents referenced by the organization was a deadly attack on a market in the city of Ariha in Idlib province. Initial reports indicated that at least 30 civilian casualties occurred, and Amnesty International now states that at least 49 civilians were killed. The Ariha attacks took place on November 29. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, reported on Tuesday that at least 2,132 people have been killed since the start of Russian attacks in Syria, nearly three months ago. This group has reported that the number of civilian casualties is 710. The Syrian civil war, which has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, millions of injuries, and displaced persons and refugees, began in March 2011 following the deadly suppression of largely peaceful protests against Bashar Assad's government. Over the years, the country has become a center for extremist groups like 'Islamic State' or al-Qaeda branches.