{"id":1677,"date":"2014-04-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-04-29T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/?p=1677","title":{"rendered":"New Barrel Bombs Hit Aleppo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n(New York)  &ndash; The Syrian government is indiscriminately striking civilians and civilian  objects in Aleppo with unguided, high-explosive barrel bombs. The attacks  continue despite a United Nations Security Council Resolution unanimously  passed on February 22, 2014, demanding that all parties in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/middle-eastn-africa\/syria\" target=\"_blank\">Syria<\/a>&nbsp;cease  the indiscriminate use of barrel bombs and other weapons in populated areas.  The UN will meet to discuss its second round of reporting on compliance with  the resolution on April 30.<\/p>\n<p>\nSince the passage of the resolution Human Rights Watch has documented at least  85 strike sites in neighborhoods of Aleppo city held by armed groups opposed to  the government, including two government barrel bomb attacks on clearly marked  official hospitals. Two doctors and administrators in these facilities told  Human Rights Watch that there were no military targets nearby and they believe  that the government intentionally attacked them.\n<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;President Assad is talking about elections, but for Aleppo&rsquo;s residents, the  only campaign they are witnessing is a military one of barrel bombs and  indiscriminate shelling,&rdquo; said&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/bios\/nadim-houry\" target=\"_blank\">Nadim Houry<\/a>, deputy Middle East and North  Africa director at Human Rights Watch. &ldquo;It is time for Russia and China to stop  blocking the Security Council and allow a weapons embargo on Syria&rsquo;s government  and other abusive groups.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>\nActivists and the government have said that armed groups, particularly after  they opened an offensive in early April, have shelled government-held parts of  Aleppo in some cases with improvised weapons prone to indiscriminate affects  when used to attack populated residential areas.<\/p>\n<p>\nWitness statements, satellite imagery analysis, and video and photographic  evidence reflect that government forces have not significantly reduced their  bombardment rate of the city since passage of the Security Council Resolution.  Human Rights Watch had previously&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2014\/03\/24\/syria-unlawful-air-attacks-terrorize-aleppo\" target=\"_blank\">identified<\/a>&nbsp;at least  340 distinct damage sites in areas held by non-state armed groups in Aleppo  between October 31, 2013, and February 20, 2014, a 113-day period, by analyzing  four satellite images recorded over the city between that period.<\/p>\n<p>\nIn the 40 days between February 22 and April 2 Human Rights Watch has  identified at least 85 additional major impact sites in neighborhoods of the  city held by armed groups opposed to the government. A substantial majority of  these identified sites have damage signatures that are strongly consistent with  the detonation of barrel bombs.<\/p>\n<p>\nBarrel bombs, and other high explosive unguided bombs, tend to create larger  zones of building destruction than is typically seen with other types of air  strikes and artillery fire, often with irregularly shaped blast craters of  shallow depth with scalloped edges.<\/p>\n<p>\nThese unguided high explosive bombs are cheaply made, locally produced, and  typically constructed from large oil drums, gas cylinders, and water tanks,  filled with high explosives and scrap metal to enhance fragmentation, and then  dropped from helicopters. The damage to a small number of the identified sites  was probably caused by other explosive weapons, either bombs delivered by  conventional aircraft or prolonged artillery shelling.<\/p>\n<p>\nAdditionally, there is strong evidence that government forces on the ground  have fired hundreds of mortar and heavy artillery shells during this period,  Human Rights Watch said.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nWitnesses  told Human Rights Watch that bombings had continued since the passage of the  Security Council resolution and, in some cases, increased in residential areas  across eastern parts of the city of Aleppo and in the countryside. Human Rights  Watch collected statements about 10 air strikes since February 22 that  witnesses said used barrel bombs. Based on witness statements, published  fatality figures, and video and photographic evidence, these attacks killed  over 150 people.<\/p>\n<p>\nDamage sites from barrel bomb attacks were concentrated in the neighborhoods of  Masaken Hanano, al-Sakhour, Terbet Lala, Helwaniye, Jabal Badro, al-Haidariya  and Owaija. A substantial majority of these damage sites are concentrated in  neighborhoods at some distance from front-line positions, with a high density  of residential buildings. In most of the cases about which Human Rights Watch  spoke to witnesses, the witnesses said there were no military targets nearby.<\/p>\n<p>\nOne local group, the Violations Documentation Center,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vdc-sy.info\/index.php\/en\/martyrs\/1\/c29ydGJ5PWEua2lsbGVkX2RhdGV8c29ydGRpcj1ERVNDfGFwcHJvdmVkPXZpc2libGV8ZXh0cmFkaXNwbGF5PTB8c3RhdHVzPTF8cHJvdmluY2U9Nnxjb2RNdWx0aT0xM3xzdGFydERhdGU9MjAxNC0wMi0yMnxlbmREYXRlPTIwMTQtMDQtMjJ8\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a>&nbsp;that  aerial attacks killed 651 civilians in Aleppo governorate between February 22  and April 22. The Syrian Network for Human Rights also<a href=\"http:\/\/sn4hr.org\/public_html\/wp-content\/pdf\/english\/when-sky-rain-barrel-bombs.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a>&nbsp;that  between February 22 and April 16, barrel bomb attacks killed at least 920  civilians in Syria, over half of them in Aleppo governorate.<\/p>\n<p>\nAccording to the Aleppo City Medical Council, an independent non-profit  organization providing medical services in Aleppo city, four of their field  hospitals admitted 589 people injured in barrel bomb attacks between February  22 and April 17 and 51 of them died from their injuries.<\/p>\n<p>\nA doctor working in these hospitals told Human Rights Watch that government  forces also attacked some of the medical facilities themselves, using barrel  bombs. He said that barrel bombs hit two official hospitals marked as such in  Aleppo, in the Hanano and al-Shaar neighborhoods. The location of the two  hospitals, which are official hospitals predating the conflict, would be known  to the government. The doctor told Human Rights Watch that the government began  targeting hospitals with aerial attacks around January and struck hospitals in  Hanano, al-Sukari, al-Sakhour, and al-Shaar.<\/p>\n<p>\nHuman Rights Watch has also received information about indiscriminate shelling  by non-state armed groups opposed to the government. In early April, opposition  forces opened an offensive attacking al-Layramoun and al-Zahraa neighborhoods  of Aleppo. According to&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/sana.sy\/ara\/336\/2014\/04\/01\/536490.htm\" target=\"_blank\">SANA<\/a>, Syria&rsquo;s state run news agency, as well  as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FzfEckd2PM4\" target=\"_blank\">video<\/a>&nbsp;footage  reviewed by Human Rights Watch, the groups used mortars as well as an  improvised rocket fitted with a gas canister &ndash; locally referred to as &ldquo;hell&#8217;s  cannon&rdquo; &ndash; for attacks that hit residential areas in government-controlled  areas, including&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/sana.sy\/ara\/336\/2014\/04\/12\/538581.htm\" target=\"_blank\">al-Hamdania<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/sana.sy\/ara\/336\/2014\/04\/20\/539802.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Ashrafieh<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/sana.sy\/ara\/336\/2014\/04\/20\/539802.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Sulaymania<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/sana.sy\/ara\/336\/2014\/04\/20\/539802.htm\" target=\"_blank\">al-Midan<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/sana.sy\/ara\/336\/2014\/04\/12\/538581.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Jamila<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/sana.sy\/ara\/336\/2014\/04\/12\/538581.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Khalidiya<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\nArticles published by SANA indicate that 40 civilians were killed and another  149 injured in government-held territory during the period of these attacks. In  one&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FzfEckd2PM4\">video<\/a>&nbsp;reviewed by Human Rights Watch,  fighters opposed to the government announced their offensive and warned  residents to leave areas near military targets. However, at least some of the  improvised weapons used are prone to indiscriminate effects when used to attack  populated residential areas.<\/p>\n<p>\nBy using barrel bombs on densely populated areas, Syrian government forces also  used means and methods of warfare that could not distinguish between civilians  and combatants, making attacks indiscriminate and therefore unlawful.<\/p>\n<p>\nMilitary commanders should not, as a matter of policy, order the use of  explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas due to the  foreseeable harm to civilians, Human Rights Watch said. Military commanders  should also never order strikes on protected civilian objects, including  medical facilities and personnel, Human Rights Watch said.<\/p>\n<p>\nIn its February 22 resolution demanding that fighting parties cease using  indiscriminate weapons in populated areas, the UN Security Council explicitly  expressed &ldquo;its intent to take further steps in the case of non-compliance with  this resolution.&rdquo;\n<\/p>\n<p>\nGiven  Syria&rsquo;s continuing air war against civilian areas, the Security Council should  impose an arms embargo on Syria&rsquo;s government, as well as on any groups  implicated in widespread or systematic human rights abuses. Such an embargo  would limit the Syrian government&rsquo;s ability to conduct aerial attacks that  violate international law, including by ensuring that Syria does not receive  new helicopters or have its current helicopters serviced overseas. The Security  Council should also impose a travel ban and an asset freeze on individuals  credibly implicated in grave abuses, and refer the situation to the  International Criminal Court, Human Rights Watch said.&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n<p>\nFurther,  in light of compelling evidence that the Syrian army and security forces are  responsible for ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity against Syria&rsquo;s  people, companies, and individuals that provide arms, ammunition, or materiel  to Syria, or to non-state armed groups that have been implicated in crimes  against humanity or war crimes, risk complicity in these crimes, Human Rights  Watch warned.<\/p>\n<p>\nUnder international law, providing weapons to forces or armed groups in Syria  that are likely to be used in the commission of crimes against humanity may  amount to assisting in the commission of those crimes. Any arms supplier could  bear potential criminal liability as an accessory to those crimes and could  face prosecution, Human Rights Watch said.<\/p>\n<p>\n&ldquo;Two months after the passage of a unanimous Security Council resolution  demanding an end to indiscriminate attacks, the council finally needs to act to  give meaning to its words &ndash; if for not its own credibility, then for the  long-suffering Syrians,&rdquo; Houry said.<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>For more details on the  barrel bomb strikes, please see below.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Medical Facilities Under  Attack<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Barrel bomb strike on  hospital in the Hanano neighborhood, April 21, 2014<\/strong><\/em><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><br \/>\nYousef (names have been changed to protect the identity of the witnesses), a  doctor working in Aleppo city, told Human Rights Watch that on April 21 two  barrel bombs struck an official hospital in Hanano, injuring patients and a  member of the medical staff and causing extensive damage to the hospital,  leaving it unable to operate. A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=M9dDk8eqk30\" target=\"_blank\">video<\/a>&nbsp;posted  of the damaged hospital shows that it is clearly marked, with the hospital&rsquo;s  name displayed across the front of the building.<\/p>\n<p>\nHe told Human Rights Watch: &ldquo;There are three operating rooms and we were  setting up ICU rooms, but now the hospital is no longer operational. We closed  it because there is no roof anymore and the main walls are completely  destroyed. The generator was also destroyed by the airstrike, causing a fire at  the main entrance.&rdquo; Yousef told Human Rights Watch that the closest front line  was three kilometers away.<\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PYnRGLbmLmA\" target=\"_blank\">Videos<\/a>&nbsp;posted  on YouTube reflect some of the damage caused by the aerial attacks on Hanano on  April 21.<\/p>\n<p>\n<em><strong>Hospital struck in al-Shaar,  April 13<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nYousef,  the doctor working in Aleppo city, told Human Rights Watch that on April 13 two  barrel bombs hit an official hospital in al-Shaar, causing damage to the  hospital&rsquo;s infrastructure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\nHe said that while no one was injured inside the hospital, 20 civilians were  killed outside.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe Violations Documentation Center has&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vdc-sy.info\/index.php\/en\/martyrs\/1\/c29ydGJ5PWEuYXJlYXxzb3J0ZGlyPURFU0N8YXBwcm92ZWQ9dmlzaWJsZXxleHRyYWRpc3BsYXk9MHxzdGF0dXM9MXxwcm92aW5jZT02fGNvZE11bHRpPTEzfHN0YXJ0RGF0ZT0yMDE0LTA0LTEzfGVuZERhdGU9MjAxNC0wNC0xM3w=\" target=\"_blank\">identified<\/a>&nbsp;three people killed by aerial attacks  in al-Shaar on April 13. Yousef also said that the second bomb, which was  dropped minutes after the first, injured an ambulance driver who went out to  help the wounded, resulting in the amputation of one of his feet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\nSeveral&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-Ow4PVvD7z0\" target=\"_blank\">videos<\/a>&nbsp;posted  on YouTube show the impact of the strike on al-Shaar on April 13 and on the  clearly marked hospital, with the hospital&rsquo;s name written across the building.<\/p>\n<p>\nYousef told Human Rights Watch there were no military targets near the strike  sites, adding: &ldquo;They [the international community] promised us that they would  work on keeping hospitals neutral and not subjecting them to the government&rsquo;s  violence, but hospitals in Aleppo are constantly being targeted with barrel  bombs that are impeding our work&hellip;There are absolutely no front lines near the  hospitals. In each hospital there is one armed guard who protects the hospital  but he has nothing to do with the Free Syrian Army.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Barrel Bomb Attacks In  Aleppo Governorate Since February 22<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Al-Fardous neighborhood,  April 20<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nMalek, a  member of the Aleppo Media Center who lives in al-Fardous, told Human Rights  Watch that on April 20 at about 5 p.m., he saw a helicopter drop two barrel  bombs on the neighborhood, the first within 50 meters of his house. &ldquo;When the  first barrel bomb fell the window glass in the apartment fell on our heads,&rdquo; he  said. &ldquo;The second barrel fell less than one minute after the first barrel.&rdquo; <br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Malek went to the strike sites after the attacks and saw that the first bomb  fell on the main street next to the al-Fardous Local Council aid distribution  office, injuring at least 20 people. He described the scene:\n<\/p>\n<p>\nIt was a  chaotic scene because the barrel fell on the main street packed with civilians at  that hour during the day. I saw children and women injured. I remember seeing  six injured children. They were less than 15. I don&rsquo;t remember how many women I  saw. Their injuries were from the shrapnel. I am sure there were many more  injuries. I don&rsquo;t remember how many killed because the civil defense team was  there removing corpses and helping the injured.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nMalek said  that the second barrel fell next to an intersection with a traffic light, and  that there he saw four injured men, an injured child with her mother, and one  man who was killed. He estimated that the strike sites were 150 to 200 meters  away from each other.<\/p>\n<p>\nOn April 22, Dr. Fadi Hakim, the deputy chief of the Aleppo Health Office of  the opposition-affiliated Council of Free Aleppo Governorate, told Human Rights  Watch that barrel bomb attacks on the al-Fardous neighborhood killed at least  28 people on April 20. &ldquo;I have carried four martyrs at least today from the ER  in&hellip; [the hospital where I was working] during the Triage in the aftermath of Al-Fardous  neighborhood bombing with TNT barrels,&rdquo; he wrote to Human Rights Watch in an  email.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe Violations Documentation Center&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vdc-sy.info\/index.php\/en\/martyrs\/1\/c29ydGJ5PWEua2lsbGVkX2RhdGV8c29ydGRpcj1ERVNDfGFwcHJvdmVkPXZpc2libGV8ZXh0cmFkaXNwbGF5PTB8c3RhdHVzPTF8cHJvdmluY2U9Nnxjb2RNdWx0aT0xM3xzdGFydERhdGU9MjAxNC0wNC0yMHxlbmREYXRlPTIwMTQtMDQtMjB8Mz1GZXJkYXdzfA==\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a>&nbsp;that 39 civilians were killed in  airstrikes on April 20 in al-Fardous, including 8 children and 3 women.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<br \/>\nSeveral&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=scd7b1hSScY\" target=\"_blank\">videos<\/a>&nbsp;posted  on YouTube also show the aftermath of the strikes on April 20.<\/p>\n<p>\nMalek said that the front line is 4 kilometers from al-Fardous and that there  are no bases for non-state armed groups in the vicinity of the attack.<\/p>\n<p>\n<em><strong>Hreitan, April 12<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nLoutfi, a  local resident, told Human Rights Watch that on the afternoon of April 12 he witnessed  a barrel bomb attack that killed at least nine civilians, including at least  two children and four women. &ldquo;I was a few meters away from where the barrel was  dropped,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I saw it coming down&hellip; Everything happened so fast.&rdquo; Loutfi  said that the area that was struck was residential and that it was full of  people.<\/p>\n<p>\nHe identified the people killed in the attack as Malek Hijazi, 45; Jana Malek  Hijazi, 7; Ruweida Azizi, 32; Fatme Hijazi, 10; Mostapha Khalil Sekhnyet, 35;  Latifa Mohamad Selmou, 30; Raghda&rsquo; Hamid Qreish, 32; Samira Qreish, 40; and one  unknown person. He said that another 20 were injured. Two women who were on the  scene were still missing when Loutfi spoke to Human Rights Watch on April 16  and their fate was unknown.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe Violations Documentation Center has&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vdc-sy.info\/index.php\/ar\/martyrs\/1\/c29ydGJ5PWEua2lsbGVkX2RhdGV8c29ydGRpcj1ERVNDfGFwcHJvdmVkPXZpc2libGV8ZXh0cmFkaXNwbGF5PTB8c3RhdHVzPTF8cHJvdmluY2U9NnxzdGFydERhdGU9MjAxNC0wNC0xMnxlbmREYXRlPTIwMTQtMDQtMTJ8Mz0lRDglQUQlRDglQjElRDklOEElRDglQUElRDglQTclRDklODZ8\" target=\"_blank\">identified<\/a>&nbsp;10 fatalities from aerial attacks on  Hreitan on April 12, including the eight people named by Loutfi and two  unidentified people.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n<p>\nSeveral&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9iD0eeh75zM\" target=\"_blank\">videos<\/a>&nbsp;published  on YouTube also show the aftermath of the barrel bomb attack and efforts to  remove deceased and injured civilians from affected buildings.<\/p>\n<p>\nLoutfi said that Hreitan is approximately 10 kilometers from the front line and  that there are no bases for armed groups in the town.<\/p>\n<p>\n<em><strong>Al-Ansari al-Sharqi  neighborhood, April 8<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nJamal, a  resident of al-Ansari al-Sharqi, told Human Rights Watch that on April 8 he  witnessed two barrel bomb attacks on the populated residential neighborhood,  when bombs fell about 200 meters from where he was. He said he knew they were  barrel bombs because of the distinctive sound the bombs make and because he saw  the second bomb falling. The bombs fell around 100 to 150 meters apart, he  said. &ldquo;The first barrel bomb fell on a building that is five stories,&rdquo; he said.  &ldquo;The building luckily was empty. The second barrel bomb fell on another  building, injuring a woman, her 14-year-old son and her 1-year-old girl. They  were injured from the shrapnel.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>\nSeveral&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=L9wTYgPlUwI\" target=\"_blank\">videos<\/a>&nbsp;posted  on YouTube also show the aftermath of the strike and efforts by civil defense  members to rescue wounded residents.<\/p>\n<p>\nJamal said that there were no military targets in the vicinity of the strike,  including bases, and that the front line is approximately one kilometer away.<\/p>\n<p>\n<em><strong>Al-Shaar neighborhood, April  4<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nFawzi, a  local resident, told Human Rights Watch that on April 4 at around 9:30 a.m. two  barrel bombs struck a bakery and vegetable market within meters and minutes of  one another in al-Shaar neighborhood. He told Human Rights Watch that he  arrived nearby just as the second bomb fell. &ldquo;I arrived and saw four or five  cars completely burned,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I saw people injured inside the cars, but  they were still alive. I saw at least six or seven injured men just in these  cars. There were several other people injured.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>\nFawzi told Human Rights Watch that the market and bakery were both open and  that as a result a lot of civilians were there. He estimated that 40 civilians,  including women and children, were injured in the strikes.<\/p>\n<p>\nHe told Human Rights Watch that on that day he saw the bodies of 33 people who  had been killed. &ldquo;I remember counting them when we lined the bodies to take a  picture,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>\nImages posted on Facebook show at least 10 corpses of people that accompanying  text said had been killed in al-Shaar on April 4. Other images were posted of  people who had been injured.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe Violations Documentation Center&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vdc-sy.info\/index.php\/ar\/martyrs\/1\/c29ydGJ5PWFyZWF8c29ydGRpcj1BU0N8YXBwcm92ZWQ9dmlzaWJsZXxleHRyYWRpc3BsYXk9MHxwcm92aW5jZT02fGNvZE11bHRpPTEzfHN0YXJ0RGF0ZT0yMDE0LTA0LTR8ZW5kRGF0ZT0yMDE0LTA0LTR8\" target=\"_blank\">identified<\/a>&nbsp;16 civilians killed in aerial attacks  on al-Shaar on April 4.<\/p>\n<p>\nFawzi described al-Shaar as a residential neighborhood, 4 kilometers from the  front line, without any bases or barracks for non-state armed groups.<\/p>\n<p>\n<em><strong>Al-Sakhour neighbourhood,  April 2 and 4<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nTwo  residents told Human Rights Watch about barrel bomb attacks on the al-Sakhour  neighborhood on the morning of April 2 that killed civilians. Ahmad, who was in  the neighborhood at the time of the attack, filmed its aftermath, and helped  injured residents, said that a helicopter first dropped one barrel bomb next to  an empty school and minutes later dropped a second approximately 50 meters  away, on a pedestrian bridge.<\/p>\n<p>\nA video&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/BlnmyxHxJyQ\" target=\"_blank\">published<\/a>&nbsp;on YouTube on April 2 by Halab News shows  the aftermath of a strike in the al-Sakhour neighborhood in which a footbridge  is visible and people are seen rescuing residents injured in the attack.<\/p>\n<p>\nAhmad told Human Rights Watch that he saw the second bomb fall, and that he  knew both were barrel bombs because of the sound the bombs made while falling  and because the bombs take longer to drop than rockets. Salim, a second  witness, also told Human Rights Watch that he recognized that the attack was  with barrel bombs because of their sound and that he too saw the second bomb  fall.<\/p>\n<p>\nAhmad saw one woman and three other residents injured from the first bomb. &ldquo;The  woman was on the street next to the school when the barrel fell,&rdquo; he said. He  said the second barrel bomb also killed passengers in a minibus that was hit:\n<\/p>\n<p>\nWhen I went  to the micro bus I saw one man with his leg amputated by the shrapnel. He&rsquo;s in  his early 20s and he was next to the micro bus. I also saw two men who were  killed, both of them were passengers in their 30s. I saw a girl maybe about 10  years old who was injured and her father was trying to help her. He was injured  as well. They were also micro bus passengers.&nbsp;&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n<p>\nSalim, who  also went to the scene of the attack minutes after the second barrel bomb fell,  described the strike: &ldquo;The micro bus was filled with passengers. I went to the  micro bus. It was a catastrophe. Most of the passengers were killed. I think  around 12 killed. I only saw a child, woman and man injured. The child was  around 4 or 5 years. I stopped filming and helped her. We took her to the field  hospital. She had injuries everywhere in her body. She was covered with blood.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?v=749797645045151&amp;set=vb.709506605740922&amp;type=3&amp;video_source=pages_video_set\" target=\"_blank\">Videos<\/a>&nbsp;and photographs posted on YouTube and  Facebook are identified as showing the bus that was hit in al-Sakhour on April  2. In several of these&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=L9wTYgPlUwI\" target=\"_blank\">images<\/a>, injured residents are seen being  pulled out of the bus, including one&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=773014606044647&amp;set=t.100004609177736&amp;type=1&amp;theater\" target=\"_blank\">girl<\/a>. Images of another  injured girl were also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/aleppomediacenter4\/photos\/pb.709506605740922.-2207520000.1397730396.\/750664264958489\/?type=3&amp;theater\" target=\"_blank\">published<\/a>. Text with  several other images says they show residents wrapped or covered in cloth who  had been killed in the attack, including one&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/aleppomediacenter4\/photos\/pb.709506605740922.-2207520000.1397730396.\/750652174959698\/?type=3&amp;theater\" target=\"_blank\">girl<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe Violations Documentation Center&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vdc-sy.info\/index.php\/ar\/martyrs\/1\/c29ydGJ5PWFyZWF8c29ydGRpcj1BU0N8YXBwcm92ZWQ9dmlzaWJsZXxleHRyYWRpc3BsYXk9MHxzdGF0dXM9MXxwcm92aW5jZT02fGNvZE11bHRpPTEzfHN0YXJ0RGF0ZT0yMDE0LTA0LTJ8ZW5kRGF0ZT0yMDE0LTA0LTJ8\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a>&nbsp;that six civilians were killed in aerial  attacks on April 2 in Al-Sakhour.<\/p>\n<p>\nBoth Ahmad and Salim told Human Rights Watch that the bombs on April 2 fell far  from the front line, approximately one kilometer away. Salim told Human Rights  Watch that there was an FSA checkpoint about 200 meters from the scene of the  attack.<\/p>\n<p>\nMarwan, a local resident, told Human Rights Watch that barrel bombs also hit  the al-Sakhour neighborhood on April 4, striking the Abu Bakr al-Sadiq mosque  and also destroying three homes. He said that he arrived on the scene minutes  after the strike and saw one girl around 15 years old who had been killed in  the attack along with a 10- or 11-year-old boy and that five or six other  civilians who were temporarily trapped under the rubble were also injured.<\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sMgbnMIq910\" target=\"_blank\">Videos<\/a>&nbsp;published  on YouTube also reflect that a mosque and homes were struck in the attack,  injuring children.<\/p>\n<p>\n&ldquo;I saw the helicopter roaming and I was waiting to see where it would strike,&rdquo;  Marwan told Human Rights Watch. &ldquo;I did not see the barrel bomb falling but the  destruction was clearly from a barrel bomb because the residential buildings  completely collapsed.&rdquo;\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<br \/>\nThe Violations Documentation Center&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vdc-sy.info\/index.php\/ar\/martyrs\/1\/c29ydGJ5PWEua2lsbGVkX2RhdGV8c29ydGRpcj1ERVNDfGFwcHJvdmVkPXZpc2libGV8ZXh0cmFkaXNwbGF5PTB8c3RhdHVzPTF8cHJvdmluY2U9Nnxjb2RNdWx0aT0xM3xzdGFydERhdGU9MjAxNC0wNC00fGVuZERhdGU9MjAxNC0wNC00fDM9JUQ4JUE3JUQ5JTg0JUQ4JUI1JUQ4JUE3JUQ4JUFFJUQ5JTg4JUQ4JUIxfA==\" target=\"_blank\">identified<\/a>&nbsp;four civilians, including two  children, killed in airstrikes on April 4 in al-Sakhour.<\/p>\n<p>\n<em><strong>Al-Haidariya neighborhood,  March 9<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nBassam, a  media activist working in Aleppo, told Human Rights Watch that, on March 9  between 9 and 10 a.m., he saw a helicopter drop two barrel bombs on the  al-Haidariya neighborhood. He said that he went to the scene shortly afterward  and saw people who had been wounded or killed, including&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2014\/03\/09\/ali-mustafa-killed-syria-died_n_4930679.html\" target=\"_blank\">Ali Mustapha<\/a>, a Canadian  journalist, who was killed by the second bomb. Bassam said that this barrel  bomb struck the depot where taxis and minibuses gather to transport civilians  to and from the city of Aleppo and the countryside.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<br \/>\nFouad, another media activist who also witnessed the attacks on March 9, told  Human Rights Watch that the first barrel bomb fell about 100 meters from the  second, which hit the al-Haidariya depot. Fouad estimated that at least 20  people had been killed in the two strikes, including the journalist and two  first responders.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe Violations Documentation Center&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vdc-sy.info\/index.php\/en\/martyrs\/1\/c29ydGJ5PWEua2lsbGVkX2RhdGV8c29ydGRpcj1ERVNDfGFwcHJvdmVkPXZpc2libGV8ZXh0cmFkaXNwbGF5PTB8cHJvdmluY2U9Nnxjb2RNdWx0aT0xM3xzdGFydERhdGU9MjAxNC0wMy05fGVuZERhdGU9MjAxNC0wMy05fDM9SGFpZGFyaXlhfA\" target=\"_blank\">identified<\/a>&nbsp;12 civilians, including 2 children,  killed in air strikes on March 9 in al-Haidariya.<\/p>\n<p>\nActivists at the scene also took photographs of the aftermath of the attack,  including of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net\/hphotos-ak-frc3\/t1\/1509945_738636916161224_1425544412_n.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">wounded<\/a> and those that  were&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/scontent-b-cdg.xx.fbcdn.net\/hphotos-prn2\/t1\/10013906_738634976161418_567337567_n.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">killed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\nBassam and Fouad both told Human Rights Watch that the neighborhood was far  from the front line, at least 3 to 5 kilometers. Bassam also told Human Rights  Watch that there were no bases for armed groups in the vicinity of the strikes.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe Syrian Air Force has&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2014\/03\/24\/syria-unlawful-air-attacks-terrorize-aleppo\" target=\"_blank\">repeatedly<\/a>&nbsp;hit the  Haidariya roundabout, a key intersection on one of the main roads connecting  opposition-controlled Aleppo to the countryside.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\n<em><strong>Al-Sukari neighborhood,  March 7<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nTwo  witnesses told Human Rights Watch that two barrel bombs struck the al-Sukari  neighborhood of Aleppo on March 7 at around noon. Both witnesses observed the  helicopter dropping the bombs and could identify them as barrel bombs. The  witnesses, who went to the scene after the attack, said that the first bomb  fell on two residential buildings al-Wikalat Street, destroying the buildings  and setting cars on fire. A video&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wrElaHOKuQ0\">posted<\/a>&nbsp;on YouTube is identified as showing  the aftermath of this attack. Khaled, one of the witnesses, said that the second  bomb fell approximately 150 meters from the first minutes later and also struck  residential buildings, completely razing them. A video&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dSBFE3aC3HA\" target=\"_blank\">posted<\/a>&nbsp;on  YouTube also shows the destruction from this strike.<\/p>\n<p>\n&ldquo;Residents told me that a family was stuck under the rubble and they couldn&rsquo;t  remove them,&rdquo; Khaled said. He told Human Rights Watch that at both strike sites  he saw civil defense workers transferring the wounded and dead to a field  hospital. Tamer, the other witness, also told Human Rights Watch that he saw  several injured people, including women and children, after the strikes.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe Violations Documentation Center has&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vdc-sy.info\/index.php\/ar\/martyrs\/1\/c29ydGJ5PWFyZWF8c29ydGRpcj1BU0N8YXBwcm92ZWQ9dmlzaWJsZXxleHRyYWRpc3BsYXk9MHxwcm92aW5jZT02fGNvZE11bHRpPTEzfHN0YXJ0RGF0ZT0yMDE0LTAzLTd8ZW5kRGF0ZT0yMDE0LTAzLTd8\" target=\"_blank\">identified<\/a>&nbsp;14 civilians killed in al-Sukari from  aerial attacks on March 7, including 8 children and a woman. Five of the  children were siblings. One man, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=r8N2kIhFYPE\" target=\"_blank\">survived<\/a>, lost all of his children in the  attack.<\/p>\n<p>\nTamer described al-Sukari as a residential area with a large civilian population  still living there, because it is two kilometers from the front line. Both  witnesses said that there were no bases for armed groups in the neighborhood.  Tamer said that he thought armed groups were using apartments in al-Sukari to  sleep in, but that these were not close to the street where the bombs fell.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nSource  URL:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2014\/04\/28\/syria-new-barrel-bombs-hit-aleppo\">http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2014\/04\/28\/syria-new-barrel-bombs-hit-aleppo<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(New York) &ndash; The Syrian government is indiscriminately striking civilians and civilian objects in Aleppo with unguided, high-explosive barrel bombs. The attacks continue despite a United Nations Security Council Resolution unanimously passed on February 22, 2014, demanding that all parties in&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;cease the indiscriminate use of barrel bombs and other weapons in populated areas. The UN will meet to discuss its second round of reporting on compliance with the resolution on Apri<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1677"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1677\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}