HRW demands UN to stop arms flow to Syria

An international non-governmental rights organization has called upon the UN Security Council to block the flow of weapons to Syria where thousands of people have been killed over the past three years due to foreign-sponsored militancy.

On Tuesday, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) demanded the Security Council to impose an arms embargo on “any groups implicated in widespread or systematic human rights abuses” in Syria.

The HRW further stated that attacks that cannot distinguish between fighters and civilians are “unlawful.”

“Such attacks continue despite a United Nations Security Council Resolution unanimously passed on February 22, 2014, demanding that all parties in Syria cease the indiscriminate use of barrel bombs and other weapons in populated areas,” the organization said.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. Over 150,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the violence fueled by Western-backed militants.

According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

Cities and towns across Syria have frequently come under mortar and rocket fire by foreign-backed militants since the Syrian crisis broke out.

The Takfiri groups have stepped up their deadly attacks against Syrians as the country is preparing to hold an important presidential election on June 3.