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Rights group calls for Syria arms embargo following deadly government airstrikes

Associated Press
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This photo provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Douma Revolution, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrian firefighters extinguish burned shop which attacked by a Syrian government airstrike, in Douma, a suburb of Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. An international human rights group called on the U.N. Security Council to impose an arms embargo on the Syrian government following airstrikes on a rebel-held suburb that killed more than 100 people. Many of those killed in the Aug. 16 attacks that targeted Douma's popular markets and residential areas were civilians. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a press release that the U.N. should also refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.(Douma Revolution via AP) (The Associated Press)

This photo provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Douma Revolution, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows smoke arise from a Syrian government airstrike, in Douma, a suburb of Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. An international human rights group called on the U.N. Security Council to impose an arms embargo on the Syrian government following airstrikes on a rebel-held suburb that killed more than 100 people. Many of those killed in the Aug. 16 attacks that targeted Douma's popular markets and residential areas were civilians. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a press release that the U.N. should also refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.(Douma Revolution via AP) (The Associated Press)

This photo provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Douma Revolution, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrian citizens look on as they stand in front of a burned car that set on fire by an attack of Syrian government airstrike, in Douma, a suburb of Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. An international human rights group called on the U.N. Security Council to impose an arms embargo on the Syrian government following airstrikes on a rebel-held suburb that killed more than 100 people. Many of those killed in the Aug. 16 attacks that targeted Douma's popular markets and residential areas were civilians. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a press release that the U.N. should also refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.(Douma Revolution via AP) (The Associated Press)

An international human rights group is calling on the U.N. Security Council to impose an arms embargo on the Syrian government following airstrikes on a rebel-held suburb that killed more than 100 people.

Many of those killed in the Aug. 16 attacks that targeted Douma's popular markets and residential areas were civilians. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a press release Thursday that the U.N. should also refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.

Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director at HRW, says bombing a market full of shoppers and vendors shows the Syrian government's "appalling disregard for civilians."

He says the Security Council should bring the same commitment to ending indiscriminate strikes on civilians as it has to chemical attacks.