Report: Russia Killed More Civilians in Syria in January Than Either Assad Regime or ISIS

As Russia again dismisses accusations that its air force is bombing hospitals in Syria, a new report by an independent human rights group said Russia’s supposed anti-Islamic State of Iraq and Syria air campaign was responsible for more civilian deaths last month than either the Assad regime or ISIS.

 

Of 1,382 civilians killed during January, 679 were killed in Russian strikes, including 94 children and 73 women, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), which says it documents records, with victims’ names where possible, from a network of activists across the country.

 

Over the same period, regime forces killed 516 civilians, including 83 children and 69 women, and ISIS killed 98 civilians, including one child and 21 women, it said.

 

SNHR reported that “armed opposition groups” killed 42 civilians, including nine children and ten women, while “unidentified groups” killed another 41, including 12 children and 11 women. The al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al Nusra and Kurdish groups killed three civilians each.

 

The greatest loss of life attributed to Russia in January, 226 deaths, were recorded in Deir al-Zour province in central Syria, followed by 212 in Aleppo, the site of a major offensive by Russian-backed regime and Iranian forces.

 

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