25 December 2017•Update: 26 December 2017
ANKARA
Bashar al-Assad's regime has dropped at least 68,334 barrel bombs on civilians from July 2012 to Nov. 2017, a human rights group said on Monday.
London-based Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said in a report that the Assad regime had targeted multiple civilian settlements located in opposition-controlled area.
In the first 11 months of 2017, 5,913 bombs were dropped, according to the report.
In 2012 the figure was 2,314, followed by 14,976 in 2013, 14,837 in 2014, 17,318 in 2015 and 12,958 in 2016.
Regime forces dropped bombs on the capital Damascus and its suburbs 22,149 times.
Aleppo in northern Syria was hit 13,436 times.
Daraa in southern Syria was attacked 9,901 times, Hama 8,482 times and Idlib 7,682 times.
Homs was targeted 3,598 times, Latakia 2,017 times, Deir ez-Zour 355 times, Quneitra 323 times, Raqqa 258 times, Hasakah 81 times and Suwayda 52 times.
The attacks have killed 10,763 civilians, including 1,734 children and 1,689 women.
Infrastructure, including 76 health facilities, 140 schools, 160 mosques and 50 marketplaces were hit in the strikes.
The report noted that barrel bombs were used for the first time on Salqin district of Idlib governate in 2012.
The human rights group emphasized that the Syrian regime had committed crimes against humanity by using barrel bombs.
Calling for a weapons blockade on the regime, it demanded that individuals and foundations involved in supplying money and weapons must be prosecuted.
The regime uses barrel bombs for attacks as they cost only $50 and damage 50-200 meters of the area where they strike.
Defined as "free fall principle" in military terminology, barrel bombs are used to force civilians to evacuate an area.
*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara.
