Amnesty International Alarmed Over Heavy Shelling of Aleppo

Amnesty International expressed alarm about the plight of civilians around Aleppo, saying satellite images show intensifying use of heavy weapons near residential areas of Syria's second city.

The human rights watchdog warned the forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebels that attacks on civilians would be documented and the culprits held accountable.

"Amnesty International is sending a clear message to both sides in the fighting: Any attacks against civilians will be clearly documented so that those responsible can be held accountable," Amnesty's Christoph Koettl said in a statement.

The London-based rights group said images from Anadan, a small town near Aleppo, revealed more than 600 probable artillery impact craters from the fierce fighting over the northwestern city.

It said that an image from July 31 shows what seems to be artillery impact craters next to what appears to be a residential housing complex in Anadan.

Amnesty said it is concerned that the deployment of heavy weaponry in residential areas will lead to further human rights abuses and grave breaches of international law.

"The Syrian military and the opposition fighters must both adhere to international humanitarian law, which strictly forbids the use of tactics and weapons that fail to distinguish between military and civilian targets," Koettl said.

A senior security official said on Sunday that the army had completed the buildup in Aleppo of some 20,000 troops in readiness for a decisive showdown in the battle underway since July 20.

The head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria, Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye, voiced concern for civilians trapped in the fighting in the city of some 2.7 million people.

Rebels say they control around half of the city.