War crimes rampant in Syria: UN inquiry

Condemning rampant war crimes in Syria's nearly five-year-old war, a report by a UN commission of inquiry said on Monday that accountability for these horrors must be part of the peace process.

The report also took aim at world powers backing Syria's peace process for "paradoxically" seeking a settlement while feeding a recent escalation on the battleground.

"As the war is poised to enter its sixth year, its horrors are pervasive and ever-present," the panel said in its 11th report on human rights violations in Syria.

Civilians remain the "primary victims", often targeted for deliberate attacks by all sides, and the lives of Syrian men, women and children have been ravaged, the report said.

"War crimes by the belligerents are rampant," it added. As the United States and Russia worked to piece together a ceasefire ahead of peace talks, the commission emphasised that those responsible for war crimes must face justice.

"Accountability is an essential part of this process," the report said. The commission renewed its appeal to the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court for war crimes investigations.

A bid in May 2014 to ask the ICC to look into war crimes in Syria failed when Russia and China vetoed the request at the UN Security Council.

Violence has surged in Syria following Russia's decision in September to launch airstrikes in support of President Bashar Assad's forces and the battlefield is becoming increasingly crowded.

"The proliferation of warring parties and front lines has challenged the ability of civilians to survive even further," said the report.