Collective Punishment - History - 21st Century - Syria

Syria

Throughout most of Syria's ongoing civil war, collective punishment was a recurring method used by the Syrian government to quell opposition cities and suburbs throughout the country whereby entire cities would be sieged, shelled, and destroyed, if that city was deemed as pro-opposition.

Upon retaking the capital Damascus after the Battle of Damascus (2012), the Syrian government began a campaign of collective punishment against Sunni suburbs in-and-around the capital which had supported FSA presence in their neighborhoods.

In opposition-controlled cities and districts in Aleppo province and Aleppo city reports indicate that the Syrian government is attacking civilians at bread bakeries with artillery rounds and rockets, with the reports indicating that the bakeries were shelled indiscriminately. HRW said these are war crimes, as the only military targets in the areas were the few rebels manning the bakeries and that dozens of civilians were killed.

In Idlib province in the northwest of the country, entire cities were shelled and bombed for sheltering opposition activists and rebels, with the victims mostly civilians, along with heavy financial losses.