ANKARA (Dispatches) – Cluster munitions left by the foreign-backed terrorists continue to pose a serious threat to the lives of civilians in Syria, a human rights group has warned.
In a statement, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said cluster munitions were used in at least 496 attacks between July 2012 and January 2023.
According to the NGO, at least 1,053 civilians were killed in these attacks, including 394 children and 219 women.
SNHR said a total of 382 civilians, including 124 children and 31 women, also lost their lives as a result of the explosion of submunition, taking the overall toll to 1,435 civilians, including 518 children and 250 women.
Cluster munitions are fired from the ground or sea, opening up to release tens or hundreds of submunitions or bomblets, which can saturate an area up to the size of several football fields.
Many fail to explode on initial impact, leaving dangerous duds that can kill and maim, like landmines.
Syria has been in the throes of foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. While the Daesh terrorist group was vanquished by the Syrian government, the Takfiri terrorist groups continue to hold sway in some parts of the country under the patronage of Western powers.
Numerous reports have pointed to the U.S. role in transferring Daesh terrorists to the war-ravaged country and even airlifting supplies to the group.