Syrian regime killed 13,278 civilians in 4 years

ISTANBUL (AA) - At least 13,278 civilians in Syria were killed and 18,600 were arrested by the Bashar al-Assad regime over the past four years, according to a report by a London-based rights watchdog.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said on Friday that it presented its report to the UN Human Rights Council on human rights violations by the Assad regime in the period between August 2016 and August 2020.

The rights group added that the regime used different forms of violations -- including torture, killing, arrests and suppression of freedom of expression.

At least 2,773 children and 1,445 women were among those killed at the hands of the Assad regime, SNHR said.

The report also documented 52 attacks by the Assad regime who has used chemical weapons on areas under the control of the Syrian opposition forces.

It said that 109 people died from malnutrition due to the blockade policy imposed by the regime on opposition-held areas.

The rights group noted that the Syrian regime has never presented a report on human rights situation in Syria to the UN since 2004.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara.