Close to 4,000 Palestinians killed in Syria's civil war
Syria was home to some 560,000 Palestinian refugees before the war broke out in 2011.
By ANNA AHRONHEIMWorkers pull an unidentified body at a mass grave in Raqqa, Syria October 16, 2018. Picture taken October 16, 2018.(photo credit: ABOUD HAMAM / REUTERS)
Close to 4,000 Palestinians have been killed in Syria since the beginning of the country’s civil war in 2011. According to new figures released by the London-based Action Group for Palestinians of Syria (AGPS), a total of 3,987 Palestinians, including 467 women and 200 children, have been killed.Before the war broke out, Syria was home to some 560,000 Palestinian refugees, the majority of whom lived in 12 Palestinian refugee camps. Since fighting began, over 85,000 Palestinians fled to Europe while tens of thousands more sought refuge in neighboring countries.Over 87% of the victims were civilians killed by regime bombings, sniper fire, clashes, torture, fleeing to other countries and more. AGPS said that 1,977 Palestinians were killed inside refugee camps. The Yarmouk refugee camp outside Damascus had the highest number of casualties with 1,422.The camp, once considered the capital of the Palestinian diaspora, was largely destroyed by intense clashes and bombardments, when the regime of Bashar Assad fought to regain control over it from Islamic State and rebel groups.Another 263 were killed in the Dara’a refugee camp, 202 in the Khan El Sheikh refugee camp south of Damascus, 168 in the Neirab refugee camp outside Aleppo, and 124 in the El Husseiniyyeh refugee camp.
