Syria committed atrocities on both sides, UN report says

PanARMENIAN.Net - A United Nations commission says fighters on both sides in Syria's civil war have committed atrocities and should be brought to justice, Belfast Telegraph reported.

The 131-page report detailed deepening radicalisation by both sides, who increasingly see the war in sectarian terms and rely on brutal tactics to advance their cause, spreading fear and hardship among the country's civilians.

The report accused both sides of atrocities, while saying that those committed by rebel fighters have not reached the "intensity and scale" of the government's violations.

Regime forces and its associated militias have committed crimes against humanity, the report said, citing murder, torture and rape. It said rebels have committed war crimes, including murder, torture, looting and hostage-taking.

The report also accused both sides of using child soldiers, citing the presence of fighters younger than 18 on the government side and under 15 among the rebels. The commission said it will submit a new, confidential list of Syrians suspected of committing crimes against humanity to the UN high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, next month.