Escalating Violence in Syria Results in Civilian Casualties Amid Sectarian Conflict
UN reports increasing civilian deaths linked to sectarian violence as a new government faces mounting pressures.
Reports from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) indicate that growing sectarian violence in Syria has led to the deaths of entire families, including women and children.
This violence is reportedly a result of military actions aimed at suppressing supporters of President Bashar al-Assad in the country's coastal regions.
An official spokesperson for the Syrian fact-finding committee stated that no one is above the law, emphasizing that perpetrators will be held accountable for their actions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has reported on hundreds of civilian killings during armed clashes that began last Thursday in northwestern Syria and lasted two days.
The reports indicate that civilians were targeted in villages predominantly inhabited by the Alawite sect, which is affiliated with the ousted president.
The OHCHR spokesperson emphasized that there have been numerous disturbing cases where entire families, especially in Alawite-majority towns and villages, were murdered.
Documented instances of extrajudicial killings, based on sectarian lines, have emerged, with survivors reporting that men were shot in front of their families.
As of now, the OHCHR has documented a total of 111 civilian deaths, which includes 90 men, 18 women, and 3 children.
However, the organization suggests that the actual number may be significantly higher.
In the face of these developments, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, welcomed the announcement of the establishment of an accountability committee by the newly formed Islamist-led Syrian government.
Türk urged that the investigations be carried out swiftly, thoroughly, independently, and impartially.
A spokesperson for the Syrian fact-finding committee investigating sectarian killings during the clashes between the Syrian military and Assad's supporters stated that the committee would forward all findings to the initiating body, the presidency, and the judiciary.
This spokesperson also noted that the committee will seek the arrest and accountability of those responsible for the violence.
When asked if the committee would seek international assistance in documenting the violations, the spokesperson indicated openness to cooperation but expressed a preference for utilizing state mechanisms.
Interim President Ahmed Hussein al-Shar remarked to Reuters on Monday that it is too early to determine whether forces under the Syrian Ministry of Defense were involved in the sectarian killings.
This violence is reportedly a result of military actions aimed at suppressing supporters of President Bashar al-Assad in the country's coastal regions.
An official spokesperson for the Syrian fact-finding committee stated that no one is above the law, emphasizing that perpetrators will be held accountable for their actions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has reported on hundreds of civilian killings during armed clashes that began last Thursday in northwestern Syria and lasted two days.
The reports indicate that civilians were targeted in villages predominantly inhabited by the Alawite sect, which is affiliated with the ousted president.
The OHCHR spokesperson emphasized that there have been numerous disturbing cases where entire families, especially in Alawite-majority towns and villages, were murdered.
Documented instances of extrajudicial killings, based on sectarian lines, have emerged, with survivors reporting that men were shot in front of their families.
As of now, the OHCHR has documented a total of 111 civilian deaths, which includes 90 men, 18 women, and 3 children.
However, the organization suggests that the actual number may be significantly higher.
In the face of these developments, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, welcomed the announcement of the establishment of an accountability committee by the newly formed Islamist-led Syrian government.
Türk urged that the investigations be carried out swiftly, thoroughly, independently, and impartially.
A spokesperson for the Syrian fact-finding committee investigating sectarian killings during the clashes between the Syrian military and Assad's supporters stated that the committee would forward all findings to the initiating body, the presidency, and the judiciary.
This spokesperson also noted that the committee will seek the arrest and accountability of those responsible for the violence.
When asked if the committee would seek international assistance in documenting the violations, the spokesperson indicated openness to cooperation but expressed a preference for utilizing state mechanisms.
Interim President Ahmed Hussein al-Shar remarked to Reuters on Monday that it is too early to determine whether forces under the Syrian Ministry of Defense were involved in the sectarian killings.
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