Assad government forces launch airstrikes against Syrian rebels despite “human shields”

Syrian rebel group Jaish al-Islam has come under direct accusations by human rights groups for using caged civilians and soldiers as “human shields” against government bombing. But the use of human shields has failed to deter the government from striking against the rebel group. The government has carried out airstrikes on a Damascus suburb despite Jaish al-Islam’s human shield technique.

The Sham News Network posted a video online over the weekends, showing cages stuffed with people being transferred to different places in Douma and Eastern Ghouta, both of which are opposition strongholds.

The Al-Jazeera reported that the civilians have confirmed that the armed group, which is a strong opposition of the Assad regime, has been moving the cages filled with innocent people to rooftops to keep the government from launching airstrikes against them.

According to the local residents, this tactic has taken the lives of around 250 women and 50 children over the past three days as government forces disregard to what the rebel group thought would act as a deterrent.

According to a photographer living in Douma, Muhammad al-Abdullah, the airstrikes have been constant. "Today the attacks started in the morning and didn't stop until after nightfall," Al Jazeera quoted him as saying.

Human rights group Human Rights Watch accused the rebel group of grossly violating human rights by exposing civilians to direct danger.

“Nothing can justify caging people and intentionally putting them in harm’s way, even if the purpose is to stop indiscriminate government attacks,” HRW deputy Middle East director Nadim Houry said in a statement. “Ending Syria’s downward spiral requires international backers of armed groups as well as the government to make protecting civilians a top priority.”

The UK-based human rights organisation Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which have local links, confirmed that cages with humans in it are being placed on rooftops. The Observatory also confirmed that until Tuesday, six missiles have been fired by the government despite such a tactic by the opposition.