Skip to main content

At least 40 dead in latest US air strikes in Syria, local sources say

Russia and Syria also claim US-coalition forces have dropped white phosphorus on at least four occasions in bombing raids

AT LEAST 40 civilians were killed in the latest US-led coalition air strikes in Syria on Saturday, with growing demands for a UN probe into potential war crimes.

The death toll following the bombing of al-Buqa’an village close to the city of Hajin is likely to rise according to local sources who say that many people remain trapped under the rubble of houses.

Most of those killed are reported to be women and children with sources reporting the continued heavy shelling of Hajin and the surrounding areas with hundreds of families reportedly displaced due to the devastation.

More than 100 people have been killed in the last week in Hajin city and the villages and towns of al-Sha’fah, al-Boubadran and al-Sousse as coalition attacks intensify.

US-led forces have been accused of using the banned substance white phosphorus on at least four occasions since September during bombing raids with calls for an international investigation. 

Russia’s military mission in Syria alleged that the coalition forces used white phosphorus in an attack on Hajin city last month and said in a statement:  “Two F-15 jets on Saturday bombed the town of Hajin with white phosphorus incendiary munitions, banned under the Geneva Convention.”

Washington denied responsibility for the attack and claimed it had not heard reports of the use of the banned substance. 

However local sources have reported a total of four occasions white phosphorus and cluster bombs have been used by coalition warplanes with Syrian officials complaining of silence from the United Nations and the international community.

The use of white phosphorus against civilians is banned under the Geneva Convention and is known for inflicting painful chemical burns on its victims as it sticks to the skin. It ignites on contact with oxygen causing post-explosion fires that burn for hours.

The International Committee of the Red Cross state that “employing asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and all analogous liquids, materials or devices is listed in the Statute of the International Criminal Court as a war crime.”

However, while US forces have previously admitted to using the substance in Iraq, the Pentagon insists it has been deployed as a smokescreen to give its troops cover, which is allowed under international law.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry has written to the UN calling for an international investigation into the crimes, punishing those responsible and to “end the illegal and hostile presence of the US and other forces on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic."

OWNED BY OUR READERS

We're a reader-owned co-operative, which means you can become part of the paper too by buying shares in the People’s Press Printing Society.

 

 

Become a supporter

Fighting fund

You've Raised:£ 13,288
We need:£ 4,712
3 Days remaining
Donate today