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Islamic State Has Killed Many Syrians, But Assad's Forces Have Killed More
(Washington Post) Hugh Naylor - President Assad's government has killed far more people in Syria this year than the Islamic State, monitoring organizations and analysts say. Between January and July, Assad's military and pro-government militias killed 7,894 people, while the Islamic State killed 1,131, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. The Syrian leader has increasingly relied on his air force as his military suffers huge losses to advancing rebels. The government's Russian-supplied aircraft can fly practically unopposed over rebel-held areas to launch airstrikes, which include releasing barrel bombs. During a 10-day period in August, air bombardments killed or wounded 1,300 people in Douma, a suburb of Damascus, and surrounding areas. In July, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented nearly 7,000 government airstrikes conducted around Syria.