A/HRC/25/65 Dara’a governorate 37. December 2013 and January 2014 saw an increase in the use of barrel-bombs. 38. In mid-December, a warship helicopter dropped barrel bombs on Jasem city, killing over twenty civilians. On 3 January 2014, barrel bombs were dropped from helicopters on residential areas in Inkhil and Jasem, following an attack by armed group fighters’ on an army checkpoint. Damascus governorate 39. January 2014 saw a dramatic increase in the use of barrel-bombs on Damascus governorate, with Daraya being particularly hard hit. 40. On 7 January 2014, barrel bombs killed an unspecified number of civilians in Douma, a suburb of Damascus city. On 14 January, Government helicopters dropped barrel bombs on civilian-inhabited areas in Daraya, Arbin and Zabadani, all in the Damascus countryside. This campaign is ongoing. Conclusion 41. Government forces consistently failed to employ precision weapons when attacking targets in dense urban areas. Repeatedly throughout the reporting period, they deployed highly imprecise munitions with an expansive impact zone. Inevitably, these weapons killed and injured large numbers of civilians. Such weapons included barrel bombs. 42. Where barrel bombs were built as de facto incendiary weapons, they also violated rules of international humanitarian law prohibiting the use of weapons that cause superfluous injury, unnecessary suffering or that are indiscriminate by nature. 43. Government helicopters dropped barrel bombs in the hours before break of fast during Ramadan, on fuel depots, and on busy market areas. The information strongly indicates that the manner in which the attacks were carried out, the timing and duration of the attacks demonstrates that the aim of the Government’s campaign of barrel-bombing was to terrorise the civilian population present in the areas attacked, with the clear message that no civilian was safe anywhere at any time of the day or night. 54