GENEVA — Syrians are caught between government bombardment of civilian areas and ruthless Islamist groups in a conflict increasingly driven by foreign powers and marked by the "spread of extremism", UN war crimes investigators said on Thursday. Daesh (the so-called IS) militants, who control large parts of northern and eastern provinces, have expanded into the center and south, instilling terror and committing crimes against humanity, the investigators said. The latest UN report documenting murders, rapes and abductions committed by all sides between January and July is based on 355 interviews as well as photographs, satellite imagery and medical records. "A resonant cry for peace and accountability rings out," said the UN commission of inquiry led by Paulo Pinheiro, also urging the world to allow in more desperate Syrian refugees. "The war is increasingly driven by international and regional powers, primarily in accordance with their respective geostrategic interests," the report said without naming names. — Reuters
