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GENEVA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- A UN Commission report on Wednesday revealed that brutal tactics used by the parties in the conflict in Syria between July and December 2016 resulted in unparalleled suffering for Syrian civilians.
The report, released by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, found that airstrikes by the government and armed groups' indiscriminate shelling terrorized local civilians.
"A number of these attacks were carried out without a clear military target and had no other purpose than to terrorize the civilian population," the report said.
Based on 291 interviews and a large number of satellite imagery, photographs, videos and medical records, the report revealed that as it became clear that eastern Aleppo would be taken by pro-government forces, all parties continued to commit brutal and widespread violations.
"In some districts, armed groups shot at civilians to prevent them from leaving, effectively using them as human shields," the report said.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate and record all violations of international law since March 2011 in Syria.
