The deaths have been caused by all sides in the conflict. A report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon blamed "indiscriminate and disproportionate aerial bombings and ground attacks" on areas with large civilian populations by government forces, opposition fighters and "terrorist" groups. Geoffrey Mock, a Middle East specialist at Amnesty International, said both government forces and insurgents have used "weapons that are guaranteed to cause civilian damage".
A civil defence member carries an injured baby who was pulled out from under debris at a site hit by what activists said was an airstrike by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the town of Marshamsha, Idlib province, on 20 October 2015