Use of Barrel Bombs in Syria

A barrel bomb or flying IED (improvised explosive device) is an improvised unguided bomb, made from large barrel-shaped metal containers filled with high explosives, such as shrapnel, oil or chemicals. They are dropped from a helicopter or airplane. They have been in news frequently due to their poor accuracy and indiscriminate use in civil areas in war in middle east, particularly Syria.

They have been extensively used in Vietnam War, Sri Lanka, Croatia, Sudan and now in Syria. They have been equated with the Chemical attacks and have killed more than 20,000 people since the conflict in Syria began in March 2011 according to a statement by Syrian National Council (SNC). Aleppo has been the focal point of the Syrian government’s use of barrel bombs. Over time, government forces have refined their use of the barrel bomb to cause maximum damage – dropping one device and then waiting 10 to 30 minutes to drop another bomb on the same location. This “signature tactic” of the Syrian air force has been referred to as a “double-tap” barrel bombing. In 2014, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2139 which has demanded an end to indiscriminate aerial bombardment including the use of barrel bombs.