Civilians in the Syrian city of Aleppo are subjected to war crimes and "unbearable suffering" on a daily basis at the hands of both government and rebel forces, Amnesty International said.
While residents have suffered "horrendous war crimes and other abuses" from both sides, government forces were guilty of "crimes against humanity," the rights group alleged in a report released Monday.
In particular, the Syrian government's apparent use of barrel bombs — crude containers packed with gasoline, nails and chunks of steel — has forced many schools and hospitals to retreat underground and resume operations in subterranean bunkers, according to Amnesty.
In an interview with the BBC in February, Syrian President Bashar Assad denied using barrel bombs — claims rejected by the U.S. and its allies.
Amnesty said that barrel bomb attacks have killed more than 11,000 civilians in Syria since 2012, adding that many people lived in "sheer terror and unbearable suffering."
The report came as aid organization Doctors Without Borders announced one of the main hospitals in the city had ceased operations after recent attacks.