Fighting has persisted in Syria during the Islamic holy month of fasting. At least 224 civilians have been killed during the first week of Ramadan, many women and children being among the dead. The majority of the deaths have been a result of bombings by Russian and Syrian warplanes.

Among the 224 civilians killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was able to document the deaths of 67 children under the age of eighteen and 28 women above the age of eighteen. Many civilians were killed by the warplane bombings. Others were killed in shelling by ISIS rebels.

The Syrian conflict began in March of 2011 with peaceful protests. It has now escalated into a multi-sided civil war. The death toll has now risen to over 280,000 people and more than half of the population has been forced from their homes, according to UN estimates.

For more information, please read:

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/syria-civil-war-224-killed-week-ramadan-160613143858932.html
http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=47454
http://en.eldorar.com/node/2523