'Martyrs of Badr killed 203 in Syria's Aleppo since July'

Beirut, Dec 12 (IANS/EFE) At least 203 people have been killed in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo by the anti-regime Martyrs of Badr Brigade, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.

The total number of those killed in these attacks also includes 42 children and 25 women, SOHR said.

The SOHR, a Britain-based information office opposed to the Syrian government, said Friday that it had been documenting the death of the Martyrs of Badr Brigade victims in Aleppo between July 1 and Dec 10.

It added that over 700 people were injured during the same period, including dozens of children and women. At least 25 percent of those wounded have been permanently disabled and deformed, the observatory revealed.

SOHR clarified that the victims were primarily affected by mortar attacks, rocket shellings and exploding gas cylinders (hell cannons) fired by the Martyrs of Badr Brigade.

Led by Khaled Hayani, this group is known to target Aleppo neighbourhoods controlled by the Syrian security forces, loyal to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The observatory said that Hayani and all those who have intentionally killed civilians in Syria should be brought before the International Criminal Court.

More than 200,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict broke out in March 2011.

--IANS/EFE

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