Accusations grow against Russia over killing of civilians

Rights groups say deaths rising since Moscowjoined war.

The three missiles BEIRUT— fired on a public market in the northern Syrian town of Ariha took the morning shoppers by surprise. In a few moments, the main street, packed with people buying and selling fruit and vegetables, turned into a scene of carnage with burning cars and the wounded screaming in terror.

At least 34 civilians were killed in the Nov. 29 attack — one in a growing number of suspected Russian attacks that Syrian opposition and rights activists say have killed civilians and caused massive destruction to residential areas across the country since Moscow formally joined the conflict nearly three months ago.

Russian officials have repeatedly rejected the accusations while residents and most opposition activists inside Syria acknowledge they have no way of categorically distinguishing whether planes that carry out a specific attack are flown by Russians or Syrians.

But human rights groups say the pattern of attacks suggests that Russia is flouting international humanitarian law and that it may even amount to war crimes.

In a new report releasedWednesday, Amnesty International says it has also documented evidence suggesting Russia used cluster munitions and unguided bombs in populated residential areas.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.Gen. Igor Konashenkov rejected the claims as “cliches and fakes,” accusing the group of relying on accounts from activists that could not be confirmed.

Amnesty’s report focuses on six attacks in Homs, Idlib and Aleppo provinces between September and November, which it says killed at least 200 civilians.

“Some Russian air strikes appear to have directly attacked civilians or civilian objects by striking residential areas with no evident military target and even medical facilities, resulting in deaths and injuries to civilians,” said Philip Luther, director of Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa program.

“Such attacks may amount to war crimes,” Luther added.

The charge echoed similar accusations by Human RightsWatch last Sunday. The group said that attacks in Syria using airdropped and groundlaunched cluster munitions have increased significantly since Russia began its military operations in Syria.

Cluster munitions, which can be delivered from the ground by artillery and rockets or dropped from aircraft, are by nature indiscriminate and often leave unexploded bomblets on the ground. These can maim and kill civilians long after a conflict ends.