A barrel bomb is a type of improvised explosive device used extensively by the Syrian Air Force during the Syrian civil war. They are usually made from a barrel that has been filled with High Explosives, along with shrapnel and/or oil. In Syria, they are typically dropped from a helicopter.[1] Due to the large amount of explosives that can be packed into a barrel the resulting detonation can be devastating.[2][3] The Syrian military often dropped these bombs in civilian areas leading to multiple civilian deaths. The BBC reported that between January 2014 and May 2015, only 1% of those killed by barrel bombs were rebel fighters.[4] By the end of 2017, over 97% of barrel bomb deaths were civilians, and more than 25% were children.[5][6] According to the UK-based Syrian Network for Human Rights, since the start of the war through to December 2017, at least 68,334 barrel bombs have been used.[7]
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