Report: More than 200 civilians in Syria have been killed by Russian air strikes

A new report by Amnesty International says at least 200 civilians in Syria have been killed by Russian air strikes since Sept. 30.

Russia has said it is bombing terrorist organizations, not civilian targets, at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while the opposition says they are just bombing rebel groups backed by the West. To compile the report, Amnesty International interviewed witnesses, doctors, and activists; viewed "audiovisual imagery;" and spoke with weapons experts. The report states Russia has made "serious failures to respect international humanitarian law" and has "unlawfully used unguided bombs in densely populated areas and inherently indiscriminate cluster munitions," the BBC says.

The report cites 25 attacks in Homs, Hama, Idlib, Latakia, and Aleppo from Sept. 30 to Nov. 29, including a Nov. 29 air strike that hit a market in Idlib province with three missiles. Witnesses said 49 civilians were killed and many more injured in the strike, and "there were no military targets in the vicinity." The Russian government has yet to comment on the report.

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