ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—As Muslims around the world enter Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer, and charity, at least 224 Syrian civilians, many of them women and children, are reported to have been killed by forces on all sides of the conflict during the first week of the holy month including regime forces, Russian airstrikes, Islamic State militants, Turkish border guards, and US-led coalition airstrikes.
Between June 6 and June 12, "224 civilian citizens, including 67 children under the age of eighteen, and 28 [women] above the age of eighteen," have been killed, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
The SOHR renewed their "condemnation of the international community for its continued terrifying silence about the crimes committed against the Syrian people."
More than half of the casualties, 148, including 50 children and 15 women, died in Russian and Syrian government airstrikes, including barrel bombs, according to the SOHR. Another 18 civilians, including three children and four women, “were killed in artillery and rocket shelling by the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them.”
Civilians have also been killed in US-led coalition airstrikes against terrorist groups in Syria, especially in recently contested Manbij areas where Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are battling Islamic State militants.
"[Fifteen] civilians including 5 children and 6 citizen women were killed by the bombing of the international coalition’s warplanes," stated SOHR.
The Islamic State has killed 24 civilians, including five children, in shelling, sniper fire, and a suicide attack and an explosive-rigged vehicle.
Turkish border guards shot and killed four Syrian civilians and “3 citizens were killed under torture in Syrian security detention centers."
The Observatory report comes as hundreds of civilians are fleeing the ISIS stronghold of Manbij in northern Syria and as fears grow for the thousands who remain trapped in the city, which is besieged by US-backed Kurdish and Arab forces.
The Observatory also had harsh words for the United Nations’ special envoy Staffan de Mistura’s recent comments on humanitarian aid reaching areas besieged by the Syrian regime.
"We also condemn the media data and press conferences of Staffan de Mistura – the International envoy - for speaking about entering of humanitarian aid to areas besieged by Bashar al-Assad’s regime forces as if it was an achievements he had through entering this aid by the regime who is basically committing war crimes during years of continued civilians siege, and we repeat our call for sending the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria to the international Criminal Court."
“We were informed by our team in Damascus that basically there has been a permission, an approval … by the government of Syria for all 19 besieged areas,” the UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, had said on Thursday.
Nearly 600,000 people are besieged in 19 areas in Syria.
Between June 6 and June 12, "224 civilian citizens, including 67 children under the age of eighteen, and 28 [women] above the age of eighteen," have been killed, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
The SOHR renewed their "condemnation of the international community for its continued terrifying silence about the crimes committed against the Syrian people."
More than half of the casualties, 148, including 50 children and 15 women, died in Russian and Syrian government airstrikes, including barrel bombs, according to the SOHR. Another 18 civilians, including three children and four women, “were killed in artillery and rocket shelling by the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them.”
Civilians have also been killed in US-led coalition airstrikes against terrorist groups in Syria, especially in recently contested Manbij areas where Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are battling Islamic State militants.
"[Fifteen] civilians including 5 children and 6 citizen women were killed by the bombing of the international coalition’s warplanes," stated SOHR.
The Islamic State has killed 24 civilians, including five children, in shelling, sniper fire, and a suicide attack and an explosive-rigged vehicle.
Turkish border guards shot and killed four Syrian civilians and “3 citizens were killed under torture in Syrian security detention centers."
The Observatory report comes as hundreds of civilians are fleeing the ISIS stronghold of Manbij in northern Syria and as fears grow for the thousands who remain trapped in the city, which is besieged by US-backed Kurdish and Arab forces.
The Observatory also had harsh words for the United Nations’ special envoy Staffan de Mistura’s recent comments on humanitarian aid reaching areas besieged by the Syrian regime.
"We also condemn the media data and press conferences of Staffan de Mistura – the International envoy - for speaking about entering of humanitarian aid to areas besieged by Bashar al-Assad’s regime forces as if it was an achievements he had through entering this aid by the regime who is basically committing war crimes during years of continued civilians siege, and we repeat our call for sending the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria to the international Criminal Court."
“We were informed by our team in Damascus that basically there has been a permission, an approval … by the government of Syria for all 19 besieged areas,” the UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, had said on Thursday.
Nearly 600,000 people are besieged in 19 areas in Syria.
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