The conflict in Syria has revealed horrific violations, most of which were perpetrated by Syrian regime forces. These crimes included extra judicial killing, torture, rape, massacres, and genocide. In addition, such systematic crimes have been categorized under crimes against humanity and war crimes, where the regime used weapons that are banned according to international laws and conventions. However, due to the inaction from the international community to stop the killing, end the violence, and protect civilians, the regime continues escalating the violence, committing more tragic crimes, perpetrating worse violations, destroying schools, hospitals, and places of worship, wiping entire villages and cities, and disregarding the lives of civilians who are being indiscriminately targeted.
These barrel bombs are being dropped indiscriminately without having any specific target. Furthermore; the free fall of the barrel bomb can cause a huge considerable impact that can shatter a glass from a kilometer away not to mention the surrounding and near houses. This Statement details the indiscriminate shelling against the city of Dael in Daraa suburbs, Syria.
Dael is located West of Daraa suburb and has a population of 45,000 in addition to more than 20,000 IDPs most of whom are children and women. This city received a systematic assault using the deadly barrel explosive via airstrikes.
Furthermore, more and more barrel bombs are falling on the heads of civilians across Syria, not to mention mortar shells, rocket launchers, and other kinds of weapons. Below are comprehensive information and documentations about the deadly assaults against the city of Dael ranging from July 9th to July 30th, 2014.
On Wednesday 9 July, 2014, the Syrian regime warplanes targeted Dael with 17 barrel bombs which caused the death of Mariam Abu-Zaid, known as Um Ali.
And on Monday 14 July, 2014 the Syrian regime dropped 15 barrel bombs on Dael which killed Walaa Yousuf Abdullah Abu-Zaid.
On Friday 18 July, 2014 the Syrian regime artillery targeted Dael where we recorded nine “field-guns” shells and documented three victims in Dael:
Ihda Mohammad Abdurrahim Al-Masri, 25-year-old.
Eissa Walid Yousuf Al-Asmi.
http://goo.l/mzcGVo
Mohammad Abdurrahim An-Nassier.
http://goo.gl/KWfF2y
On Saturday 26 July, 2014 the Syrian regime helicopters dropped seven barrel bombs and several artilary missels which killed Milad Eissa Ash-Sharif.
http://goo.gl/QyMJPB
On Monday, July 28, 2014, the Syrian regime struck Dael with six barrel bombs. A young man named Ibrahim Shihadeh Jamous was kiiled in these attacks.
http://youtu.be/ZicpJFvFSgw
http://goo.gl/pWIbh3
On Tuesday July 29, 2014, Regime forces escalated artillery shelling against the city of Dael targeting residential areas, which caused citizens to be displaced and to flee to the neighboring hills.
On Wednesday, July 30, 2014 the Syrian regime helicopters dropped eight barrel bombs on Dael resulting in four victims who were documented in addition to dozens of injuries. Most of the wounded were taken to field-hospitals in Dael.
Medical teams were in desperate need for blood as there were too many wounded citizens because of the barrel bombs shelling.
The following are victims who were killed in Dael on Wednesday 30, July, 2014
Ibrahim Mousa Ash-Shehadat
http://youtu.be/nGQEyiuGeNM
Child Udai Ahmad Al-Hariri
http://goo.gl/MjuFZJ
http://youtu.be/V8-BNDCMpnY
Child Ali Ahmad Al-Hariri
http://youtu.be/YAYLwEwY_XY
Child Qusai Faraj Al-Assimi
The massacres continued as the Syrian regime warplanes targeted Dael on Thursday 31 July, 2014 with 20 barrel bombs that were dropped directly on residential neighborhoods; two of which fell on the bakery in the city.
Number of civilian victims who were killed by the barrel bombs that day reached three victims who were from the same family:
– Ismail Qana,
-Yasar Ismail Qana, 12-year-old.
-Bara’a Ismail Qana, 10-year-old.
Most of the victims who fell in Dael were either civilian residents or IDPs.
The helpless civilian residents were not able to do anything but to wait for their death. They fled to the farms in an attempt to save their lives and the lives of their families and children.
DCHRS noted that the Syrian regime is adopting a new shelling policy by targeting civil areas intentionally and deliberately rather than shelling indiscriminately. Targeting civilian areas in armed conflicts is a violation that the regime is consistent in perpetrating while granting impunity. Shelling and striking Dael can be considered an example of the direct targeted strikes.
We, as a Human Rights NGO, condemn this blatant and explicit violation of the relevant international laws and covenants. These continuous attacks on civil and areas by the Syrian regime are serious desecrations of the International Humanitarian Law. The International Community should address these violations and improve its “responsibility to protect” policy.
Furthermore not only the commander and chief of this ruthless operation Bashar al-Assad should be accountable, also anyone who was part of the crime or participated in committing such violations.
DCHRS urges the United Nations and the Security Council to press on the Syrian regime in order to stop targeting civilians. The UN Security Council in addition to the international community should take immediate actions to protect the civilians in Syria from the deadly airstrikes that are targeting them on a daily bases.
Damascus Center for Human Right Studies
4/8/2014.
Prepared by the research team:
Mahmoud Abu-Zaid
Lawyer Osama Al-Madi
Images of Dael victims
For more information, please contact
Dr. Radwan Ziadeh, Executive director of the Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies.
Phone (571) 205-3590
Email : radwan.ziadeh@gmail.com
Mr. Mojahed Ghadban, Communication Officer.
Telephone (479) 799-8115
Email: info@dchrs.org
DCHRS is an independent, non-governmental organization, established in 2005, located in the Syrian capital of Damascus. Its mission is to foster a spirit of support and respect for the values and standards of human rights in Syria. As such, DCHRS recognizes and adheres to all pertinent international human rights agreements and declarations issued by the UN.
DCHRS is a member of the following international networks:
- International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
- Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN)
- NGO Coalition for the international Criminal Court
- International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP)
- International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC)
DCHRS worked on a variety of documentation projects. Such projects included daily casualty reports, massacre reports, and other human rights violations reports. Also DCHRS has been working on advocacy and lobbying in different human rights institutions in order to educate and acknowledge about the deteriorating human rights situation in Syria.. After the launch of the Syrian revolution, the center increased its activities through working, communicating, and coordinating with many members and activists. Thus the center began documenting daily violations committed by the Syrian regime forces that can be classified as crimes against humanities and war crimes. Such violations included: extrajudicial killings, massacres, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, rape, torture in prisons. DCHRS opened local offices in Syria in order to document, collect, and observe human rights violations on the ground. DCHRS submitted those reports to many international and regional human rights organizations and communicated with the Report of the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic on Syria.