28 children among 76 killed by Syria 'barrel bombs': Activists

BEIRUT - Agence France-Presse

Residents look for survivors at a damaged site after what activists said was an air strike from forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Karam Al-Beik area of Aleppo, Dec 15, 2013. REUTERS photo

Regime air raids using barrel bombs on rebel-controlled areas of Syria's second city of Aleppo at the weekend killed at least 76 people, including 28 children, activists said Dec. 16.

The number of people "killed after the bombing of areas in the city of Aleppo with explosive-packed barrels yesterday (Dec. 15) rose to 76," including "28 children and four women," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory said that one youth and 43 men had also been killed in the bombings, but did not specify whether any opposition fighters were among the casualties.

A previous toll from the Observatory, which relies on a network of activists, lawyers and medics for its information, had put the number of killed at 36, among them 15 children.

The Aleppo Media Centre, a network of activists on the ground, called the raids on the northern city "unprecedented".

The Local Coordinating Committees, a network of pro-opposition activists, said military aircraft had dropped barrels packed with explosives on rebel-held areas of Aleppo.

More than 126,000 people have been killed in Syria since March 2011, and millions more have fled their homes.