DAMASCUS: The Damascus regime, under the leadership of President Bashar Assad, has “willfully” killed thousands of civilians in airstrikes that amount to war crimes, Human Rights Watch said yesterday, as fighters lobbied the major powers for weapons.

Human Rights Watch said bakeries and hospitals were among the civilian targets that been hit by airstrikes as the regime resorts to an increasingly indiscriminate use of its air power.

"Airstrikes have killed more than 4,300 civilians across Syria since July 2012," HRW said.

"Syrian government air strikes that have deliberately or indiscriminately killed civilians appear to be part of systematic and widespread attacks against the civilian population that Human Rights Watch previously found amount to crimes against humanity," it added.