Syrian Civil War Bombing Death Toll 76, Rising In Aleppo

A bombing related to the Syrian civil war has produced a death toll of at least 76, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday. Army helicopters dropped something called “barrel bombs” on the rebel controlled city of Aleppo, impacting civilian areas of the city.

Syrian President Bashar Assad uses his air force quite often in the Syrian civil war. He regularly uses airstrikes, like the ones on Sunday, against rebel advances across the country and to target civilian areas who are believed to working together with the opposition. Human rights groups say Syrian military aircraft have carried out indiscriminate air raids that frequently hit civilian targets, such as hospitals and residential areas. The death toll in the civil war has reached 120,000 since the conflict began in March 2011.

These bombings often utilize “barrel bombs” which are explosive-filled cylinders or oil barrels. They are pushed out of Syrian military helicopters on strategic targets to maximize impact and damage. The blast from the barrels can cover several blocks and often impact more than just rebel forces.

In the current strike, it is also being reported by the British based Observatory that 28 children are among those confirmed dead.

Rebel groups are reportedly planning retaliation attacks on government and state buildings in Northern Syria and have asked civilians to remain clear of those buildings over the next few days. They have maintained control over Aleppa since the Summer of 2012, when they took over the city in a violent battle.

The main Western-backed opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, condemned the air raids, and accused the government of “waging a barbaric campaign on the city of Aleppo through which it seeks revenge and the spread of chaos.”

In a statement, the Coalition also said it has documented the names of the dead and more than 350 who were wounded in the Aleppo bombings.

“The Assad regime continues to kill civilians across Syria, blocking aid convoys from reaching stricken areas, and refuses to release prisoners — practically consecrating through all of that, its rejection of a political solution,” it said.

As the death toll continues to rise in the Syrian civil war and related bombings, expect to hear more about rebel retaliation throughout the region.