A vast majority of people in strife-torn Syria was killed in unlawful attacks using conventional weapons such as guns and mortars, with children being the major casualties, according to a UN report.
However, after major powers said they would press for a UN resolution to rid Syria of chemical arms, Damascus said on Tuesday, "US, France and Britain have revealed their true objective...which is to impose their will on Syrian people.”
The report by the UN-appointed International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said civilians continue to face daily indiscriminate shelling and bombardment by Government forces and that extremist anti-Government groups have also targeted civilians.
The vast majority of the casualties resulted from unlawful attacks using conventional weapons such as guns and mortars, Paulo Pinheiro, the chairman of the Commission, said. "The Government has continued its relentless campaign of air bombardment and artillery shelling across the country," he said as he introduced the report to the Human Rights Council on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Minister appeared to suggest use of force could be reconsidered if Syria violates an agreement on abandoning its chemical weapons.