*Syrian army, Iraqi
militia accused of 'slaughter' of civilians in Aleppo
REUTERS - The United Nations
said on Tuesday it had reports that Syrian
government troops and an allied
Iraqi militia had deliberately shot dead scores of men, women and children in
eastern Aleppo, and warned the same "slaughter" could happen
elsewhere.
The U.N. human
rights office cited reports that at least 82 people had been killed on the
streets while fleeing or in their homes in four different neighborhoods in the
last few days.
"The crushing
of Aleppo, the immeasurably terrifying toll on its people, the bloodshed, the
wanton slaughter of men, women and children, the destruction – and we are
nowhere near the end of this cruel conflict," U.N. High Commissioner for
Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said in a statement.
The Syrian army and
its allies have taken full control of all Aleppo districts abandoned by rebels
during their retreat in the city, a Syrian military source said on Tuesday.
Zeid said Syria must
allow monitoring of its treatment of people fleeing eastern Aleppo, including
those detained.
"What is
happening with Aleppo could repeat itself in Douma, in Raqqa, in Idlib. We
cannot let this continue,” he said, referring to other rebel-held towns.
Earlier, his
spokesman Rupert Colville said the U.N. feared retribution against thousands of
civilians believed to be holed up in a "hellish corner" of less than
a square kilometre of opposition-held territory. Its capture was imminent, he
said.
"In all, as of
yesterday (Monday) evening we have received reports of pro-government forces
killing least 82 civilians, including 11 women and 13 children, in four
different neighborhoods - Bustan al-Qasr, al-Fardous, Al-Kalasah and
al-Saliheen," Colville told a news briefing.
He named the Iraqi
armed group Harakat al-Nujaba as reportedly involved in the killings.
"The reports we
had are of people being shot in the street trying to flee and shot in their
homes," Colville said, adding that the U.N. had the names of the 82.
"There could be
many more," he said.
DEMANDS FOR
MONITORING
"The only way
to alleviate the deep foreboding and suspicion that massive crimes may be under
way both within Aleppo, and in relation to some of those who fled or were
captured, whether fighters or civilians, is for there to be monitoring by
external bodies, such as the U.N.," Colville said.
France on Tuesday
called on the United Nations to use all its mechanisms to determine what was
happening in Aleppo, warning Russia that it risked being complicit in acts of
"vengeance and terror".
Screening by Syrian
government forces of people leaving the city must itself be screened, Colville
said.
"It needs
international eyes on the situation if the fears of the worst kinds of things
happening - summary executions, torture, etc - are to be allayed," he
later told reporters.
Colville blamed
world powers for failing to refer atrocities to the International Criminal
Court for prosecution.
"The failure of
the Security Council to at least involve the International Criminal Court and
have some kind of judicial process has been absolutely disastrous. Because the
people behind these kind of acts think they have total impunity to do what they
want."
Jens Laerke, U.N.
humanitarian spokesman, said that it looked like "a complete meltdown of
humanity in Aleppo".
REUTERS
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