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Pro-Syrian, Terrorist Forces Accused of War Crimes in Battle for Idlib

Lisa Schlein

   GENEVA - The three-member U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria is
   accusing pro-government Syrian forces and terrorist groups of
   widespread human rights violations and war crimes in their battle to
   control Idlib in northwest Syria. The report will be submitted to the
   U.N. Human Rights Council later this month.

   Syrian and Russian forces launched a military offensive late last year
   to re-take Idlib province and surrounding areas, the last remaining
   territory under the control of armed groups in Syria.

   In its report, the U.N. Commission of Inquiry describes the suffering
   endured by Syrian children, women and men during the military campaign
   as unfathomable. The report documents 52 attacks by all parties to the
   conflict between November and June.

   Commissioner Hanny Megally says hospitals and medical facilities,
   schools, marketplaces and residential homes have been attacked. He says
   civilians have been killed and injured, infrastructure damaged and
   destroyed. He speaks by video link from New York.

   "Within that we found that war crimes were committed, were likely to
   have been committed by both the Syrian air force and by the Russian air
   force," he said. "We document two incidents in the report, where we
   think it was Russian airplanes that conducted those attacks. And, we
   explain why we think it was the Russians, rather than the Syrians."

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