UN-mandated rights investigators have condemned the Syrian government for using chemical weapons against civilians and Islamic State militants for public executions and amputations in the parts of Syria they control.
The independent Commission of Inquiry on the rights situation in Syria said President Bashar al-Assad's government is believed to have dropped barrel bombs containing the chemical agent chlorine on civilian areas eight times in attacks on villages in northern Syria in April.
The commission, which includes former war crimes tribunal prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, was established by the UN Human Rights Council.
The commission accused Islamic State of staging frequent execution in areas it controls, particularly Raqqa and places in the Aleppo region, and of carrying out amputations, lashings, and mock crucifixions.
It said IS is also recruiting and training children as young as 10 years old.
