MESOP FLASH : Over 1000 Syrians killed since beginning of Russian airstrike campaign

Albawaba news Jordan 21 Jan 2016 – Since Russia began a series of airstrikes on Syria four months ago, more than 1,000 civilians haven been killed in Syria according to local monitor reports. The raids started on September 30 and killed 1,015 civilians, which includes more than 200 children, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The organization relies on sources present on the ground for its reports. These have reported that the strikes had also killed 893 Daesh militants, as well as 1,141 other opposition militants, including members of Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front.

The total toll of 3,049 represents an increase of nearly 700 deaths in just three weeks. A staunch ally of the Syrian regime, Russia has been coordinating its strikes with Damascus, saying it is targeting Daesh and other extremist groups. But activists and rebels accuse Russia of targeting moderate opposition fighters more than Daesh militants. Russia previously responded to accusations of killing civilians, calling these reports “absurd” and that such claims by rights groups were “cliches and fakes”. The Observatory reports that it differentiates between strikes by US-led coalition warplanes, the Syrian regime and Russia by observing the type of aircraft and the munitions used. www.mesop.de