Nearly 3 years after the anti-government uprising began in Syria, the bloodshed shows no sign of abating and the number of civilian casualties is rising.
In a stepped-up campaign against the opposition, government forces are dropping so-called barrel bombs on populated areas.
The cylindrical-shaped bombs are one or two meters long.
They spray shrapnel over a wide area and cause serious injuries.
A human rights organization says the death toll from this type of bomb has surpassed 1,500 so far this year.
The anti-government camp claims most of the victims are civilians and accuses the government of atrocities.
A 14-year-old boy sustained serious leg wounds in his house when a barrel bomb exploded in the northwestern city of Idlib. He is receiving treatment in neighboring Turkey.
He is bed-bound with little prospect of being able to walk again.
The boy says the international community has done nothing to deal with the use of this merciless and inhumane weapon.
Source: NHK
