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Source: http://www.hrw.org/node/122732
Syrian Government Has Razed Entire Neighborhoods
(Human Rights Watch) Syrian authorities deliberately demolished thousands of residential buildings in Damascus and Hama in 2012 and 2013, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday, based on satellite imagery, witness statements, and video and photographic evidence. The report documents seven cases of large-scale demolitions with explosives and bulldozers that violated the laws of war. The demolitions either served no necessary military purpose and appeared to intentionally punish the civilian population or caused disproportionate harm to civilians. "Wiping entire neighborhoods off the map is not a legitimate tactic of war," said HRW researcher Ole Solvang.