Civilians are increasingly bearing the brunt of the violence in the bitter battle between Syrian government forces and opposition fighters for control of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city and the country’s economic capital. The Syrian government forces’ increasingly frequent use of aircraft and artillery to strike residential areas is further exposing civilian residents to harm. During a 10-day fact-finding visit in August, Amnesty International investigated some 30 attacks in which more than 80 civilians who were not directly participating in hostilities were killed and many more were injured.
