Middle East

Is Russia Dropping Incendiary Bombs On Syrian Civilians?

An RT video shows Russian jets carrying incendiary bombs around the same time activist videos show incendiary bombs being used in Syria.

Is Russia Dropping Incendiary Bombs On Syrian Civilians?
Information Office of the City of Huraytan
SMS

Is Russia using banned incendiary bombs in Syria?

Russia's RT news outlet released a video showing Russian jets in Syria. One of the jets is armed with two RBK-500 ZAB-2.5SM incendiary bombs. The bomb carries smaller incendiary charges and is designed to be dropped on flammable military targets.

Human Rights Watch is worried the bombs are being used on civilians.

"We have found evidence — and quite extensive evidence — that other types of incendiary weapons have been used, weapons containing, for example, as you mentioned, thermite," Human Rights Watch's Deputy Emergencies Director Ole Solvang told Al Jazeera

The bombs are being used in a rebel-controlled area near the Syrian city of Aleppo. 

Incendiary bombs have been in use for decades — most notably during World War II and the Vietnam War

In 1980, the United Nations banned the use of incendiaries against civilians. Russia is one of the 113 countries that signed the U.N. treaty.

This isn't the first time incendiary weapons have been used in Syria

In 2013, an incendiary bomb was dropped on a school playground. A Human Rights Watch investigation blamed the Syrian government

This video includes clips from BBCAnadan Media CenterInformation Office of the City of HuraytanAlmarra Today, the U.S. Air Force and AV-Medienproduktion and images from the United Nations. Music provided courtesy of APM Music.