Iraq News

Syria regime, ISIS using civilians as pawns: UN rights chief

The UN rights chief has said civilians fleeing attacks on opposition-held towns in southern Syria are being used as "pawns", AFP reported Friday (June 29th).

The Syrian regime, backed by Russia, has bombarded Daraa province for over a week, forcing more than 66,000 to flee, while others wait out the raids.

UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein warned of the "grave risk that the intensified fighting will see many civilians trapped".

Many risk being caught between pro-regime forces and armed opposition groups and the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), he said, as "civilians in Syria continue to be used as pawns by the various parties".

The commissioner said his office had received reports that civilians at some regime checkpoints in Daraa had only been allowed through for a fee.

"There are also reports that ISIS fighters in control of the Yarmouk Basin area in the western part of Daraa governorate are not allowing civilians to leave the areas under their control," he said.

International law requires all sides to "do their utmost to protect civilians", he said, urging the parties to the conflict "to provide safe passage to those wishing to flee" and to protect those who choose to remain in place.

He said his office had documented at least 46 civilian deaths in the region since June 19th, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the toll at 96.

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