Amnesty alarmed at heavy weapon use in Aleppo

Human rights group Amnesty International has raised concerns over new satellite images showing increased use of heavy weapons in and around the Syrian city of Aleppo. In a statement published on Wednesday, Amnesty said the new satellite images of Aleppo and its surrounding area showed “an increased use of heavy weaponry, including near residential areas”. Images from Anadan revealed more than 600 probable artillery impact craters from heavy fighting between Syrian armed forces and armed opposition groups, it added. Amnesty said an image from 31 July showed probable artillery impact craters next to what appeared to be a residential housing complex in Anadan. “Turning Syria’s most populous city into a battlefield will have devastating consequences for civilians. The atrocities in Syria are mounting already,” warned Christoph Koettl, emergency response manager for Amnesty International USA. “The Syrian military and the opposition fighters must both adhere to international humanitarian law, which strictly forbids the use of tactics and weapons that fail to distinguish between military and civilian targets,” he added.