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Inquiry: Civilians in Syria Victims of Insufferable Abuse, Misery

Lisa Schlein

   GENEVA - An independent commission on Syria has accused all parties in
   the coutry's conflict of cold-bloodedly pursuing military objectives
   regardless of the cost in civilian lives and human suffering.

   Investigators of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on
   Syria say the battle raging in the northern city of Idlib, the last
   rebel-held stronghold in Syria, is being waged by all sides with total
   disregard for the safety of its 3 million civilian inhabitants.

   Presenting their latest report to the U.N. Human Rights Council, they
   say members of the terrorist group, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, have
   launched indiscriminate rocket attacks against military positions of
   pro-government and Syrian government forces, killing and maiming dozens
   of civilians.

   They say the response by Syria and its Russian ally has been
   disproportionate. Commission chairman Paulo Pinheiro says hundreds of
   civilians have been killed during the last four months in escalating
   aerial and ground offensives aimed at ousting the terrorists and
   affiliated armed groups from Idlib.

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